- Date
- April 17, 1994, 18:55 local (Apr 18, 1994, 01:55 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 139 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N931ASMcdonnell Douglas MD-83
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940417029239I
- Case key
- 41827
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 fatigue fracture of a main gear wheel hub.
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 landing/taxi sequence, the left main gear wheel hub experienced a fatigue fracture. The cracks which led to the fracture originated in the hub grease dam groove. The fracturing of the hub damaged other brake compenents, which allowed hydraulic fluid to leak onto a hot brake pad, where it was ignited.
Factual narrative
On April 17, 1994, approximately 1855 Pacific daylight time (PDT), an Alaska Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83, N931AS, experienced a fire in the area of the left main gear while taxiing to the passenger loading gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington. After stopping at the gate and requesting fire equipment, the captain ordered an emergency evacuation of the aircraft. There were no reported injuries to the 132 passengers, six crew members, or the single jump seat occupant. The aircraft, which departed San Francisco International Airport on an IFR flight plan at 1655 PDT, was operating in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the incident. This mishap did not involve the activation of an ELT.
According to tower personnel, smoke was seen coming from the area of the left main gear as the aircraft taxied to the gate. The tower notified the aircrew of the situation and, as the aircraft stopped at the gate, flames began coming from the same area, prompting the captain to initiate an emergency evacuation. Approximately half of the occupants evacuated through the normal jetway exit, while the other half exited using the tail cone slide.
The investigation has revealed that the left main gear wheel hub experienced a fatigue fracture which originated in the hub grease dam groove. Subsequent to the hub failure, hydraulic fluid, which was leaking from a damaged brake component, was ignited by a hot brake pad.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N931AS
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-83
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49232
- Airframe hours
- 25,773
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-217A, 20,850 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Alaska Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 13, 1994 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- SFO · San Francisco, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SEA · Seattle-Tacoma Int., runway 34R, 11,900 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 34
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,899 total · 3,764 in this make and model · 3,692 as pilot in command · 141 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 50 °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.