- Date
- January 7, 1991, 19:15 local (Jan 8, 1991, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Kansas City, MO
- Injuries
- 36 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N396UABoeing 737-322
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910107002969I
- Case key
- 14925
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper use of the throttles, and failure to maintain directional control by the first officer. Factors related to the incident are: ice on the runway, lack of total experience in the type aircraft and operation by the first officer, and inadequate supervision by the captain.
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
The first officer had control of the aircraft for takeoff on ice covered runway. After the throttles were advanced for takeoff, the aircraft rolled straight ahead for approximately 2 seconds, then began to slide to the left. The captain took control of the aircraft but could not maintain directional control, or stop the aircraft. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway and came to a stop in the mud and snow. An emergency evacuation was conducted. Investigation revealed that on application of power for takeoff, the right engine had a 10% greater N1 than the left engine. The first officer was on his initial operating experience in the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N396UA
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-322
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24671
- Engine
- GE CFM-56-3B1, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- United Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- DEN · Denver, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MCI · Kansas City Int'L, runway 27, 9,500 × 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
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 23 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCI, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.