NYC96IA168

NTSB incident investigation · Boeing 727-232 · Flushing, NY · August 14, 1996

Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal report
Date
August 14, 1996, 19:20 local (23:20 UTC)
Place
Flushing, NY
Injuries
139 uninjured
Damage
No damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N533DABoeing 727-232
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report July 30, 1998
Report
Approved by Office Director
Case key
39104

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.

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Probable cause

a failure of the low pressure turbine assembly for undetermined reason(s).

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.

Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malfClimb
1 engine
Turbine assembly - undeterminedCause
Turbine assembly - failureCause

Analysis

The pilots reported that shortly after takeoff, there was a compressor stall in the No. 2 engine, followed by a loss of engine power, and an abnormal oil pressure reading. The engine was shut down and the pilot made an emergency landing at JFK Airport. Debris came to rest in a residential area where a vehicle was struck. Examination of the engine revealed that turbine parts punctured through the turbine exhaust case in several locations but were contained by the fan exit duct. All the 4th stage turbine blades fractured across the airfoil just above the platform and were retained in the disk. Twelve of the twenty-five 4th stage turbine vane clusters were missing and the remaining clusters showed considerable trailing edge damage. All the 3rd stage turbine blades and vanes exhibited minor secondary damage with no blade or vane damage observed forward of the 3rd stage. The engine had accumulated 235 flight hours and 171 cycles prior to the incident since its last heavy maintenance inspection. The investigation did not reveal the exact origin of the turbine failure.

Factual narrative

On August 14, 1996, about 1920 eastern daylight time, a Boeing 727-232, N533DA, operated by Delta Airlines as flight 801, experienced a turbine failure of the number two engine, during departure from LaGuardia Airport, Flushing, New York. The airplane received minor damage, and the occupants were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and an instrument flight plan was filed. The destination was Tampa, Florida and the flight was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121.

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, there was a compressor stall, followed by a loss of engine power, and an abnormal oil pressure reading. The engine was shut down and the flight diverted to John F. Kennedy Airport for a landing. After landing, the flight taxied to the gate where the passengers deplaned normally through the jetway.

Debris came to rest in a residential area where a vehicle was struck.

Examination of the engine revealed that turbine parts punctured through the turbine exhaust case in several locations but were contained by the fan exit duct. All the 4th stage turbine blades were fractured across the airfoil just above the platform and were retained in the disk. Twelve of the twenty-five 4th stage turbine vane clusters were missing and the remaining clusters showed considerable trailing edge damage. All the 3rd stage turbine blades and vanes exhibited minor secondary damage with no blade or vane damage observed forward of the 3rd stage. The engine had accumulated 235 flight hours and 171 cycles prior to the incident since its last heavy maintenance inspection. The investigation did not reveal the exact origin of the turbine failure.

Aircraft

Registration
N533DA
Reported as
Boeing 727-232
Category
Airplane
Serial number
22046
Airframe hours
48,427
Engine
P&W JT8D-15A, 15,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
Damage
No damage
Flight
Part 121
Registered owner
Delta Airlines
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Transport
Last inspection
Continuous airworthiness · August 11, 1996 · 21 hours before
Departed
LGA
Destination
TPA · Tampa, FL
Flight plan
Unknown

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
59
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
120° at 10 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
13,000 ft broken
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 64 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
LGA