# NTSB DCA09IA018: Mcdonnell Douglas MD88, N924DL, Greer, SC, December 11, 2008

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: December 11, 2008, 17:12 local (22:12 UTC)
- Place: Greer, SC
- Coordinates: 34.895557, -82.220001
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8956&lon=-82.2200&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 153 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 29, 2011
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- Parties: FAA AAI-100
- NTSB case key (mKey): 69569
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA09IA018
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/69569/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA09IA018

## Probable cause

The overheating and arcing of the DC Ground Service Relay and Block Diodes component for undetermined reasons.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Electrical power system: dC power distribution system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022460): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022460/cases.md?model=3023688), [All aircraft, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022460/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150) (defining event); cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md?model=3023688), [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150); cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md?model=3023688), [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md)

## Analysis

While cruising at 30,000 feet, the captain and first officer initially smelled smoke in the cockpit, prompting them to initiate an unscheduled, precautionary landing at an airport along their route. While descending, the crew noticed that smoke was “pouring out” from underneath the first officer’s glare shield and instrument panel. No fire or flames were present. The captain declared an emergency and proceeded to depressurize the aircraft while descending through 10,000 feet in order to clear the smoke from the cockpit. Four tires on the left main gear burst on touchdown, and the aircraft came to rest on the runway. Ground personnel notified the crew that the right main brake system was on fire, and the crew and passengers made an emergency evacuation from the left side of the aircraft. The DC Ground Service Tie Relay (R2-51) and Blocking Diode Assemblies (R7-50 and R7-51), located in the forward accessory compartment of the airplane, exhibited signs of overheating and smoke damage. A detailed examination of the components revealed internal damage consistent with arcing of the electrical contacts. However, due to the extent of the damage, the cause of the arcing could not be determined.

## Factual narrative

On December 11, 2008 about 1712 eastern daylight time, N924DL, a Boeing MD-88, operated by Delta Air Lines as flight 1102, a Title 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight, diverted to the Greenville Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), Greer, South Carolina after experiencing smoke in the cockpit while en route on a flight from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Virginia to Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. There were no injuries reported among either the crewmembers or passengers. The captain stated that all operations prior to smelling smoke were normal. He further stated that he first smelled smoke while level at 30,000 feet, just prior to making a normal descent for Atlanta. Shortly thereafter, he began to see smoke appear in the cockpit and donned oxygen masks while instructing the first officer to initiate the Smoke and Fumes Removal Checklist. Assuming the smoke to be “electrical in nature”, the captain further instructed the first officer to initiate the Smoke and Fumes Fire/Electrical checklist. According to the captain, at this point, he declared an emergency to FAA air traffic control, as the “smoke intensified”, and was given a clearance to divert to the Greenville airport. Shortly after touchdown the Captain noted that “some tires blew” upon initial application of the brakes, but he was “able to stop safely with the remaining tires.” Once stopped on the runway, the Captain shut down the engines. At this point the Fire Department notified the Captain that the “right brake assembly was on fire.” An emergency evacuation on the left side of the aircraft commenced. The first officer reported smelling traces of smoke before seeing “significant smoke” fill the cockpit. According to the first officer, after donning oxygen masks, he noted that “smoke was pouring out from the glare shield in front of my position and also appeared to be coming from below the glare shield between my legs.” After completing the Smoke and Fumes/Fire Electrical checklist, the first officer became “alarmed” when smoke did not cease from entering the cockpit after the left and right generators were turned off. Upon descending to 10,000 feet, the first officer depressurized the aircraft using the cabin manual control wheel, which he said cleared the cabin of smoke “quickly.” During the course of the emergency, one of the flight attendants was notified by the captain that they were going to make a precautionary landing at an airport “short of Atlanta” due to smoke in the cockpit. A few moments later the captain notified the flight attendant that they were going to be making an emergency landing in Greenville, South Carolina, but “not to the point of an evacuation", and the flight attendants proceeded to secure the cabin for landing. Upon touching down in Greenville, South Carolina, aflight attendant reported hearing “a loud explosion in the back of the aircraft.” After shutdown, the captain ordered an emergency evacuation out of the left side of the aircraft, and the flight attendants complied with his orders. On-site postincident examination of the incident aircraft in Greenville, South Carolina, revealed overheating and smoke damage to the DC Ground Service Tie Relay (R2-51) and Blocking Diode Assemblies (R7-50 and R7-51), located in the forward accessory compartment. The two components were subsequently removed from the aircraft and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s material laboratory in Washington, DC, for further analysis. On January 8, 2009, a detailed examination of the components revealed internal damage consistent with there having been arcing of the electrical contacts, but due to the extent of the damage, no other specifics related to the arcing could be ascertained.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N924DL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N924DL-2019-09-16), registration cancelled 2019-09-16, S/N 49711, built 1988 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD88 (88)
- Registry model: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-md-88) (registry code 3023688) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney JT8D series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-series) (registry code 52053, turbo-jet) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 49711
- Airframe hours: 53506
- Engines: PRATT AND WHITNEY JT8D 21900 lbs thrust turbo jet
- Damage: Minor damage
- Fire: In-Flight
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Delta Air Lines Inc
- Registered owner: Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, October 4, 2008
- Departed: IAD, Herndon, VA
- Destination: ATL, Atlanta, GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: GSP, Greenville Spartanburg, runway 22, 11,000 × 150 ft, concrete

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 3, 2008; seat: left; flight hours: 9,202 total, 1,049 in this make and model
- Co-pilot; age 58; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; last flight review December 8, 2008; seat: right; flight hours: 4,032 total, 1,294 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark
- Visibility: 11 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Observed at: GSP

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Incident 20081211856949I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081211856949I), Dec 11, 2008: Doug MD88, Greer, SC, Substantial damage. Enroute from iad to atl reported smoke and fumes in the cockpit at FL 300, 175 miles NE of atl. The flight declared an emergency and diverted to gsp with…

## Other investigations on N924DL (2)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DCA18CA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA18CA042), Dec 12, 2017: Mcdonnell Douglas MD 88 (N924DL), Detroit, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the flight crew to confirm the left engine throttle lever was at idle during engine start.
- [NTSB MIA88IA240](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA88IA240), Aug 1, 1988: Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 (N924DL), Pensacola, FL, incident, no damage

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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