# NTSB NYC03LA016: McDonnell Douglas MD-82, N452AA, Flushing, NY, November 9, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 9, 2002, 13:50 local (18:50 UTC) - Place: Flushing, NY - Coordinates: 40.777221, -73.872497 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7772&lon=-73.8725&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 6 minor, 72 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 17, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 56031 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC03LA016 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56031/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03LA016 ## Probable cause An inadvertent trauma to the passenger's foot during an emergency evacuation. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Miscellaneous/other, standing - hydraulic system,line - fractured - evacuation - performed, passenger (cause) - fluid,hydraulic - leak - fuselage,cabin - smoke ## Analysis While waiting on the ramp after landing, the flight crew started the airplane's auxiliary power unit (APU) and about 30 seconds later, the cabin began to fill with smoke. The captain ordered an emergency evacuation utilizing the airplane's four evacuation slides. All slides functioned normally; however, during the egress a passenger sustained a fractured bone in her right foot. Examination of the airplane revealed a broken hydraulic line, which allowed hydraulic fluid to accumulate in the area of the APU inlet. ## Factual narrative On November 9, 2002, about 1350 eastern standard time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, N452AA, operated by American Airlines as flight 710, performed an emergency evacuation after landing at LaGuardia Airport, Flushing, New York. Two certificated airline transport flight crew members, 2 flight attendants, and 68 passengers were not injured. One passenger sustained a serious injury, while one flight attendant and five passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the scheduled passenger flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 121. According to a representative of American Airlines, the airplane landed uneventfully and taxied toward the parking area. While waiting on the ramp, the flight crew started the airplane's auxiliary power unit (APU) and about 30 seconds later, the cabin began to fill with smoke. The captain ordered an emergency evacuation utilizing the airplane's four evacuation slides. All slides functioned normally; however, during the egress a passenger sustained a fractured bone in her right foot. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, examination of the airplane by maintenance personnel revealed a broken hydraulic line, which allowed hydraulic fluid to accumulate in the area of the APU inlet. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N452AA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N452AA-2018-02-16), registration cancelled 2018-02-16, S/N 49553, built 1988 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 - Registry model: [Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82(MD-82)](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-dc-9-82-md-82) (registry code 3022082) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 49553 - Airframe hours: 44325 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200-7C 20000 lbs thrust turbo jet; Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200-7C 20000 lbs thrust turbo jet - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: American Airlines Inc - Registered owner: Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, November 8, 2002, 4 hours before - Departed: DFW, DALLAS-FORT WOR, TX - Destination: LGA, Flushing, NY - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: LGA, La Guardia ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review October 22, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 10,500 total, 840 in this make and model, 3,500 as pilot in command, 145 in the last 90 days, 33 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 35; injuries: none; flight engineer, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review October 12, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 5,000 total, 1,206 in this make and model, 1,200 as pilot in command, 160 in the last 90 days, 67 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 29.97 inHg - Observed at: LGA ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20021109030549A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021109030549A), Nov 9, 2002: Doug DC982, New York, NY. (-23) Background: on nov 9, 2002 while awaiting a park (aircraft positioned between concourse c and d) on to gate #D6 the crew started the APU, aprox 30… ## Other investigations on N452AA (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW03LA132](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA132), Apr 16, 2003: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) (N452AA), DFW Airport, TX, no damage. Probable cause: An inadvertent trauma to the passenger's ankle during an emergency evacuation. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.