- Date
- October 12, 1992, 20:01 local (Oct 13, 1992, 02:01 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 88 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N72822Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921012047169I
- Case key
- 18250
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
An inadvertent attempt, by unknown persons, to start the APU which had been placarded as inoperative. Factors were: inadequate procedures in rendering the APU incapable of being started when inoperative.
Analysis
While in cruise flight, the 'right reverser accumulator low' caution light illuminated. Examination following landing revealed that the auxiliary power unit (APU) turbine wheel had separated in an uncontained failure, and had damaged numerous components in the compartment below the number two engine pylon. The APU had been placarded as inoperative two days prior to the incident. The investigation did not reveal when an inadvertent attempt to start the APU had occurred, but did reveal that no procedures, other than the inoperative placard, were in place to prevent start attempts.
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
- N72822
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49482
- Airframe hours
- 19,807
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-217A, 20,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Continental Airlines, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Continental Airlines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 1, 1992 · 1,681 hours before
- Departed
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,300 total · 9,000 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N72822 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.