- Date
- August 31, 1988, 09:01 local (14:01 UTC)
- Place
- Dallas/Ft Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 14 fatal, 26 serious, 50 minor, 18 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N473DABoeing 727-232
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19880831036229A
- Case key
- 15900
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
(1) The captain and first officer's inadequate cockpit discipline which resulted in the flightcrew's attempt to takeoff without the wing flaps and slats properly configured; and (2) the failure of the takeoff configuration warning system to alert the crew that the airplane was not properly configured for the takeoff. Contributing to the accident was delta's slow implementation of necessary modifications to its operating procedures, manual's, checklists, training, and crew checking programs which were necessitated by significant changes in the airline following rapid growth and merger. Also contributing to the accident was the lack of sufficiently aggressive action by the FAA to have known deficiencies corrected by delta and the lack of sufficient accountability within the faa's air carrier inspection process.
Analysis
The flightcrew reported that the takeoff roll appeared to be normal in all respects, with no warning lights, audible warnings, or unusual engine instrument conditions. The captain stated that the rotation was initially normal, but as the main gear wheels left the ground he heard 'two explosions.' He said it felt as though the airplane was experiencing 'reverse thrust.' The captain stated that the airplane began to 'roll violently.' The airplane struck the instrument landing system (ILS) localizer antenna array approximately 1,000 feet beyond the end of runway 18L, and came to rest about 3,200 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. Investigation determined that the wing flaps and slats were not properly configured prior to the attempted takeoff. (For further information - see NTSB/AAR-89/04.)
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N473DA
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-232
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20705
- Airframe hours
- 43,023
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-15, 15,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Delta Airlines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 11, 1988 · 166 hours before
- Destination
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DFW · Dallas/Ft. Worth Intl, runway 18L, 11,387 × 200 ft, concrete
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
- 48
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 7,000 in this make and model · 119 in the last 90 days · 62 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N473DA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.