- Date
- January 7, 1992, 13:32 local (19:32 UTC)
- Place
- Dfw Airport, TX
- Injuries
- 49 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N322DLBoeing 737-232
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920107000289I
- Case key
- 18386
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 failure of the aft cone bolt as result of preexisting fatigue cracking due to improper maintenance, and the failure of the secondary support structure as a result of loads that exceeded the capacity of the attaching hardware and the crushable honeycomb core.
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
The right engine separated from the wing as the airplane was climbing through 200 feet after takeoff. Following the engine separation, the crew continued the climb and were vectored for an uneventful landing without further incident. Engine separation was the result of the failure of the aft cone bolt and the engine secondary support assembly. The aft cone bolt failed as result of a preexisting fatigue crack, while the engine secondary support assembly failed as result of the dynamic loads that exceeded the designed capacity of the mounting bolts. The two forward cone bolts failed in overload as the engine swung forward during the separation sequence. Metallurgical testing revealed that the fatigue of the aft cone bolt was a result of lubricant inadvertently introduced into the conical surface of the cone bolt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N322DL
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-232
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23094
- Airframe hours
- 20,468
- Engine
- P&W JT-8D-15, 15,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Delta Air Lines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 23, 1991 · 82 hours before
- Departed
- DFW
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DFW · Dfw Airport, runway 18, 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 8,200 as pilot in command · 209 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DFW, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.