McDonnell Douglas DC-9 N922RW

Summary

On 18 October 1989 at about 06:15 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 registered N922RW was involved in an incident near Monte Vista, Colorado, United States. 103 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 October 1989 at 06:15

Classification

Incident

Location

Monte Vista, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Monte Vista (08V)

Coordinates

37.5691, -106.1392

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-9

Registration

N922RW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN90IA012

1 person had minor injuries.

THE POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING AND DECISIONS MADE BY THE FLIGHT CREW FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER TWO GENERATOR CONSTANT SPEED DRIVE UNIT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE FAILURE OF THE NO. 2 GENERATOR CONSTANT SPEED DRIVE UNIT AND THE CREW'S INADVERTENT SHUT DOWN OF THE WRONG GENERATOR WHICH RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL350 THE NO. 2 GENERATOR CONSTANT SPEED DRIVE (CSD) FAILED AND THE CREW INADVERTENTLY DISCONNECTED THE NO. 1 GENERATOR CSD. ATTEMPTS TO START THE APU ABOVE THE START ENVELOPE WERE MADE BUT ABORTED DUE TO A HOT START. A DESCENT WAS MADE ON EMERG ELECTRICAL POWER AND A LANDING WAS MADE AT AN ARPT WHICH WAS INADEQUATE FOR THE ACFT. THE CREW CHOSE TO MAKE A NO FLAP APCH AND TO LOWER LANDING GEAR BY EMERG METHOD WHEN BOTH SYSTEMS WERE OPERABLE BY NORMAL MEANS. THIS DECISION WAS INFLUENCED BY THE LACK OF LANDING GEAR AND FLAP POSITION INDICATORS WHEN THE ACFT IS OPERATED ON BATTERY POWER. THE LANDING SPEED WAS FAST AND THE ACFT DEPARTED THE END OF THE RWY DAMAGING THE LANDING GEAR AND THE NO. 1 ENGINE. THE CREW FAILED TO MANUALLY DEPRESSURIZE THE ACFT AND THE EVACUATION WAS DELAYED UNTIL A KNOWLEDGEABLE PASSENGER WENT TO THE COCKPIT AND DEPRESSURIZED THE ACFT. THE OPERATORS ACFT OPERATING MANUAL DID CONTAIN APU STARTING PROCEDURES BUT NOT AN APU START ENVELOPE CHART.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.