McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 N133JC

Summary

On 10 August 1989 at about 00:18 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 registered N133JC was involved in an incident near Denver, Colorado, United States. 254 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 August 1989 at 00:18

Classification

Incident

Location

Denver, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40

Registration

N133JC

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Angeles → Minneapolis

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

DCA89IA066

Nobody was injured.

FATIGUE FAILURE AND SEPARATION OF A FIRST-STAGE COMPRESSOR FAN BLADE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 38,000 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTAINED FAN BLADE SEPARATION IN THE NO. 2 ENGINE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE FIRST-STAGE COMPRESSOR FAN BLADES (S/N EB2506) HAD SEPARATED ABOUT 8 INCHES ABOVE THE BLADE PLATFORM. FRAGMENTS FROM THE BLADE (#8) HAD EXITED THROUGH THE LEFT FAN COWL IN THREE PLACES AND HAD PENETRATED THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE BLADE SEPARATION STEMMED FROM A 0.34-INCH LONG FATIGUE CRACK THAT BEGAN IN A WELD ADJACENT TO A PATCH. THE FAN BLADE HAD BEEN PATCH-REPAIRED EARLIER, AND SUBJECTED TO FOUR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS: X-RAY, FLUORESCENT PENETRANT, ULTRASONIC, AND EDDY CURRENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.