# NTSB DCA83AA028: Douglas DC-9-32, Covington, KY, June 2, 1983

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Final report
- Date: June 2, 1983, 19:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place: Covington, KY
- Location: 39.0488° N, 84.6678° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CINCINNATI/NORTHERN KENTUCKY INTL (CVG), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0488&lon=-84.6678&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 23 fatal, 3 serious, 13 minor, 7 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations: Yes
- NTSB case key (mKey): 15784
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA83AA028
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/15784/pdf
- Board report AAR8602 (PDF): https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR8602.pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA83AA028

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Fire, cruise - normal
  - misc eqpt/furnishings,lavatories - fire (cause)
  - fuselage,cabin - smoke (contributing factor)
  - fuselage,crew compartment - smoke (contributing factor)
  - safety advisory - conflicting, other crewmember (cause)
  - unsafe/hazardous condition - not understood, pilot in command (cause)
  - delayed (contributing factor)
- Forced landing, landing
- Fire, standing
  - fuselage,cabin - fire

## Analysis

The Safety Board's full report on this investigation is provided as Aviation Accident Report number AAR-86/02. To obtain a copy of this report, or to view the executive summary online, please see the Web site at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm

AT ABOUT 1903 EDT, WHILE ENROUTE AT FL 330, THE CABIN CREW DISCOVERED A FIRE IN THE AFT LAVATORY. AFTER CONTACTING ATC & DECLARING AN EMERGENCY, THE FLT CREW MADE AN EMERGENCY DESCENT & ATC VECTORED THE ACFT TO THE GREATER CINCINNATI INTL ARPT. AT 1920, THE ACFT WAS LANDED ON RWY 27L. AS THE AIRCREW STOPPED THE PLANE, FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL MOVED IN PLACE & BEGAN FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS. ALSO, AS THE PLANE STOPPED, THE OCCUPANTS BEGAN EVACUATING THE ACFT. ABOUT 60 TO 90 SEC AFTER THE EXITS WERE OPENED, A FLASH FIRE ENVELOPED THE INTERIOR OF THE ACFT. 23 PASSENGERS WERE UNABLE TO EXIT THE ACFT & DIED IN THE FIRE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT 3 FLUSH MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAD POPPED ABOUT 11 MIN BEFORE SMOKE WAS DETECTED. THE CAPTAIN MISCONSTRUED REPORTS THAT THE FIRE WAS ABATING WHEN HE RECEIVED CONFLICTING FIRE PROGRESS REPORTS. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE LANDED AT THE CINCINNATI INTL ARPT RATHER THAN AT LOUISVILLE WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO LAND 3 TO 5 MIN SOONER. WET TOWELS & BREATHING THRU CLOTHING AIDED SURVIVAL. FIRE SOURCE UNK.

## Aircraft

- Registration: CFTLU (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUGLAS DC-9-32
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 47196
- Airframe hours: 28425
- Engines: P&W JT8D1-7B 14000 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Fire: Both
- Flight: Part 129
- Operator: Air Canada
- Registered owner: Air Canada
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: DFW, DALLAS, TX
- Destination: TORONTO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: CVG, Greater Cincinnati, runway 27L, 7,800 × 150 ft, concrete

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 51; airline transport, foreign; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; flight hours: 13,000 total, 4,939 in this make and model, 111 in the last 90 days, 39 in the last 30 days, 9 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg

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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