- Date
- October 4, 1991, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dfw Airport, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N952RMcDonnell Douglas DC-8-63F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911004045109A
- Case key
- 18397
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 pilot's misjudgment of the wing tip clearance. A factor was the failure of the maintenance personnel to follow procedures and directives pertaining to taxiway and ramp clearance.
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
A cargo transport aircraft was taxiing to the cargo ramp to unload its cargo when the left wing tip struck a large portable maintenance stand. The maintenance stand had been left unattended nine feet beyond the marked taxiway clear zone. The outboard 18 inches of the left wing tip was torn off by the collision, which also caused a 75 to 80 gallon fuel spill.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N952R
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46061
- Airframe hours
- 62,039
- Engine
- P&W JT3D-7, 19,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Aerolease
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 30, 1991 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- MEM · Memphis, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DFW · Dfw, runway 18, 11,388 × 150 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 3,200 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.