# NTSB DCA86IA001: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51, N402EA, Raleigh-Durham, NC, September 26, 1986

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: September 25, 1986, 21:17 local (Sep 26, 1986, 01:17 UTC)
- Place: Raleigh-Durham, NC
- Coordinates: 35.829822, -78.830131 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8298&lon=-78.8301&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 99 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- NTSB case key (mKey): 15859
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA86IA001
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/15859/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA86IA001

## Sequence of events

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

- Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - light condition - dark night (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - haze/smoke (contributing factor)
  - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

DRG ARRIVAL, THE FLT CREW MADE A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 23L IN CALM WIND CONDS. FLT CREW STATEMENTS INDICATED THAT WHEN THEY WERE ON FINAL APCH AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, THE ACFT WAS ON THE PROPER GLIDEPATH FOR LANDING. HOWEVER THE RESULTING GRND CONTACT WAS HARDER THAN NORMAL RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT BUT NO REPORTED INJURIES.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N402EA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N402EA-1991-07-17), registration cancelled 1991-07-17, S/N 47683 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51
- Registry model: [Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-dc-9-51) (registry code 3022051) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 47683
- Airframe hours: 30686
- Engines: P&W JT8D-17 16000 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: Minor damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Registered owner: Eastern Airlines Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, September 22, 1986
- Departed: LGA, NEW YORK, NY
- Destination: RDU
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: KRDU, Raleigh-Durham, runway 23L, 7,500 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 54; flight engineer, 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: 5,159 total, 1,335 in this make and model, 3,737 as pilot in command, 212 in the last 90 days, 80 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Observed at: RDU

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.