# NTSB DCA17LA122: Boeing 757, N633DL, Raleigh, NC, May 21, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 20, 2017, 21:18 local (May 21, 2017, 01:18 UTC) - Place: Raleigh, NC - Coordinates: 35.877498, -78.798332 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8775&lon=-78.7983&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 186 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 22, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 95216 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA17LA122 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95216/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95216 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA17LA122 ## Probable cause the first officer's failure to attain a proper landing flare, which resulted in a tail strike. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action sequence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041020): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Copilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 757-232, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041020/cases.md?model=1384965), [All aircraft, 77 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 757-232, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md?model=1384965), [All aircraft, 124 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md) ## Analysis The crew of the Part 121 scheduled passenger flight reported that the landing approach at the destination was stable. The first officer, who was the pilot flying, stated that the airplane was slightly high and fast when he began the landing flare and he pushed the nose down to correct. He then determined that he had overcorrected and began to recover by pulling the control column aft when the airplane landed firmly on the main landing gear and the aft fuselage impacted the runway. Postflight inspection revealed an area of abrasion damage to the aft fuselage and the underlying stringers and frames and damage to the aft pressure bulkhead. ## Factual narrative On May 20, 2017, about 2118 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Boeing 757-232, N633DL, operated by Delta Air Lines as flight 2534, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Morrisville, North Carolina. There were no injuries to the 6 flight crew members or 180 passengers on board. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight, which originated from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia. The flight crew reported that the airplane was cleared for the visual approach to runway 5L at RDU and that the approach was "stable" as they descended through 1,000 ft. The first officer, who was the pilot flying, recalled that the airplane was slightly high and fast when he began the landing flare and he pushed the nose down to correct. He then determined that he had overcorrected and began to pull the control column aft. The airplane subsequently landed firmly on the main landing gear and the aft fuselage impacted the runway. The captain stated that the arrival and approach were normal. He added that, upon crossing the runway threshold, it appeared that the first officer flared a bit high but that he corrected by lowering the nose toward the runway. The captain stated that had the first officer continued descent to the runway, they would have made an "acceptable" landing, but he abruptly pulled back on the yoke just before touchdown, and the airplane almost simultaneously contacted the runway on its main landing gear and tail. Postflight inspection revealed an area of abrasion damage to the aft fuselage about 8 ft long by 2 ft wide, affecting 3 skin panels. The fuselage skin was abraded through in several areas with damage to the underlying stringers and frames. The forward and aft chords of the aft pressure bulkhead exhibited abrasion damage and the lower web was buckled. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N633DL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N633DL-2020-08-25), registration cancelled 2020-08-25, S/N 23614, built 1987 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 757 (232) - Registry model: [Boeing 757-232](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-232) (registry code 1384965) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PW2037](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pw2037) (registry code 52117, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 23614 - Year built: 1987 - Airframe hours: 94368 - Engines: Pratt and Whitney PW2037 37000 lbs thrust turbo fan; Pratt and Whitney PW2037 37000 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Delta Air Lines - Registered owner: Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Na Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, May 20, 2017 - Departed: KATL, Atlanta, GA - Destination: KRDU, Morrisville, NC - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KRDU, Raleigh-Durham International, runway 5L, 10,000 × 150 ft, concrete - Equipment: Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; last flight review October 14, 2016; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 15,588 total, 7,131 in this make and model, 8,564 as pilot in command, 129 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 43; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; medical: class 1, unknown; last flight review May 12, 2017; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 85 total, 85 in this make and model, 85 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 70° at 13 knots, gusting 23 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,500 ft broken - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 30.14 inHg - Observed at: RDU ## Other investigations on N633DL (1) 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 MIA03FA130](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03FA130), Jun 23, 2003: Boeing 757-232 (N633DL), Tampa, FL, no damage. Probable cause: a torching of the right engine caused by an abnormally high flow fuel during engine start for undetermined reasons. The torching resulted in an unwarranted evacuation of the airplane and serious… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95216. 9.4 MB in all. - Cockpit voice recorder (CVR) - specialist's factual report (item 1, PDF, 2 pages, 21 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=5530097&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=dca17la122_v1_overwrite_final-Rel.pdf - Flight data recorder - specialist's factual report (item 2, PDF, 12 pages, 7 photos, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=5932864&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=dca17la122_v2_fdr_final-Rel.pdf - Flight data recorder - attachment 1 - tabular data (csv) (item 3, CSV, 5.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=5932597&FileExtension=csv&FileName=la122_final_attach1-Rel.csv - Crew statements (item 4, PDF, 6 pages, 92 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9730075&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA17LA122%20Crew%20Statements_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 5, PDF, 11 pages, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11414638&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA17LA122%20-%206120_Redacted-Rel-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.