- Date
- April 9, 1991, 19:54 local (Apr 10, 1991, 02:54 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 31 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9003UBoeing 737-222
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910409031729I
- Case key
- 41346
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
Turbine blade failure from fatigue. Factors to the incident were inoperative engine fire extinguisher, inadequate service of aircraft and delayed deployment of emergency slide.
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
During the initial climb, the flight crew heard a loud bang followed by airframe vibrations. The crew was notified by the control tower that smoke and flame were emitting from the left engine. The flight crew declared an emergency and was cleared to land. The pilot discharged a bank of fire extinguishing agent and shut the engine down. The flight landed without further incident. During the follow-up investigation, it was found that a turbine blade failed in fatigue. The flight crew had received an indiction that the fire extinguishing agent had discharged, however, it was later found that it didn't due to the installation of an incorrect discharge outlet. The rear emergency slide on the right side was slow in inflating and was not usable for the evacuation. The slide was installed on a test stand and found to operate within normal operating parameters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9003U
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-222
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19041
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-7B, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- United Airlines
- Registered owner
- United Airlines
- Destination
- SMF · Sacramento, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SEA · Seattle, runway 16, 9,425 × 150 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
- 56
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 14,075 total · 188 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9003U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.