- Date
- July 5, 1983, 07:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 122 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8091UDouglas DC-8
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830705035999I
- Case key
- 12051
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff during initial climb the no 1 engine failed and an engine fire erupted. The crew discharged 2 firebottles and extinguished the fire. The acft returned to the field and landed without further incident. The no 1 engine 1st stage compressor disc failed due to a subsurface manufacturing defect.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8091U
- Reported as
- Douglas DC-8
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 45995
- Airframe hours
- 43,696
- Engine
- GE CFM-56, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- United Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- CLE · Cleveland, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ORD · O'Hare, runway 4L, 7,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,500 total · 2,500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 380 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8091U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.