- Date
- February 21, 1989, 06:43 local (12:43 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 47 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1289LMcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890221011659I
- Case key
- 22796
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 turbine guide vane failure.
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
Shortly after takeoff, the left engine failed and the airplane was landed back on the departure airport. After turning off on a taxiway, the tower told the crew that the left engine was on fire. The crew used the fire bottle and ordered an emergency evacuation. Engine teardown revealed that initially, a vane had failed in the stage 2 turbine section. Fire was caused by burning engine oil.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1289L
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47444
- Airframe hours
- 50,735
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-7B, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Delta Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 8, 1989 · 78 hours before
- Departed
- IAH
- Destination
- CVG · Cincinnati, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- IAH · Houston Intercontinental, runway 27, 10,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,800 total · 650 in this make and model · 220 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °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.