- Date
- November 13, 1986, 12:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Newark, NJ
- Injuries
- 137 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N714DALockheed L1011
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- Case key
- 15870
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
On November 13, 1986, the rear main spar of the right wing failed as delta flt 194 touched down on rwy 29 at Newark airport. The pilots stated that there was moderate turbulence on final approach and initial touchdown was on the right main gear first. The touchdown was firm but not hard which was confirmed from the 1.4G recorded on the dfdr. The 1.4G force is well within the landing gear certification limits. The spar web failure was caused by a fatigue crack that originated at a 'hi - loc' fastener hole located at the lower inboard corner of a doubler that surrounds the fuel filler valve which is mounted vertically on the spar web. The fatigue zone in the spar web had progressed about 6 3/4 inches before the web failed as the airplane touched down. The fracture in the spar web extended diagnally downward and outboard at 45 degrees from inboard wing station 241.0 to inboard station 293.5. The flight crew did not report any airplane malfunction during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N714DA
- Reported as
- Lockheed L1011
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 193C1090
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce RB-211-22B, 42,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Airlines
- Registered owner
- Delta Airlines Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 26, 1986 · 905 hours before
- Departed
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- EWR · Newark, NJ
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EWR · Newark International, runway 29, 6,502 × 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 19,850 total · 2,400 in this make and model · 17,275 as pilot in command · 13,725 in the last 90 days · 6,643 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 19 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWR
Other investigations on N714DA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.