McDonnell Douglas DC9 CF-TLU
17 September 1979 · Boston, Massachusetts, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 17 September 1979 at about 16:12 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC9 registered CF-TLU, operated by Air Canada, was involved in an accident near Boston, Massachusetts, United States. 45 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:12
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.4453, -70.7583
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas DC9
- Registration
- CF-TLU
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1968
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Air Canada
- Operating rule
- Part 129: Foreign
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Boston → Yarmouth
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC79AA106
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 44 |
Probable cause
a fatigue fracture of the aft cabin pressure bulkhead which resulted in a rapid decompression of the aircraft's cabin area. This fracture initiated from a crack below the aft bulkhead access door which was discernible on the X-rays taken during the aircraft's last maintenance inspection but was not detected by the inspectors.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/aviation.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-80-13. At 1212 EDT, on September 17, 1979, Air Canada Flight 680, a scheduled passenger flight to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, departed Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts. About 14 min after takeoff, at an altitude of about 25,000 ft msl, the tailcone along with the aft cabin pressure access door and a portion of the aft cabin pressure bulkhead separated from the aircraft causing rapid decompression of the passenger and flightcrew compartments. The aircraft was landed safely at Logan International Airport about 38 min after takeoff. Of the 45 persons aboard, one flight attendant received minor injuries during the decompression. The aircraft's oxygen system and its elevator control and engine control systems were damaged.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas DC9 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 1983 | McDonnell Douglas DC9-32 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 1983 | McDonnell Douglas DC9-80 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Transworld Airways | No injuries | - |
| 16 Nov 1988 | McDonnell Douglas DC9-31 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Usair | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1988 | McDonnell Douglas DC9-51 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jan 1989 | McDonnell Douglas DC9-30 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States | Continental Airlines | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Jan 1993 | McDonnell Douglas DC9-82 | Dfw Airport, Texas, United States | American Airlines | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 1982 | Varga 2150A | Marlboro, Massachusetts, United States | S&G Leasing | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Aug 1982 | Cessna 172M | Marlboro, Massachusetts, United States | Don's Flying Service, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1982 | Grumman American AA-5A | Marstons Mills, Massachusetts, United States | George Goodwin | No injuries | - |
| 2 Dec 1982 | Cessna 150L | Marstons Mills, Massachusetts, United States | Ronald C. Armeson | Fatal | 1 |
| 19 Jun 1982 | Smith AEROSTAR 601 | Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, United States | Tech Industries, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 1982 | Bellanca 7KCAB | Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, United States | Bay Aero Club Inc. | No injuries | - |