- Date
- May 17, 1984, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Minneapolis, MN
- Injuries
- 239 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N150USMcDonnell Douglas DC-10-40
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- Case key
- 12449
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
During climb from FL330 to FL370 the 1st officer saw sparks and smoke coming from the left side panel under his glare shield. Cockpit lights were turned off and smoke stopped. Flt returned to Minneapolis and landed without incident. Inspection of the acft disclosed the fire was in a wire bundle located btw center of instrument panel and the florescent light underneath the 1st officer's glare shield. The wire bundle (reinstalled 4 days before) was stretched tightly across the left end of the florescent light and was forced to turn an abrupt angle across a sharp metal edge on the light. Insulation and fabric sleeve around the wires was burned leaving the wires exposed. Testing of the circuit breakers did not determine why they failed to open.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N150US
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- N-150US
- Engine
- P&W JT9D-20, 4,350 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Northwest Orient Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Destination
- BOS · Boston, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,966 total · 498 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 18 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP, 160 nm away