McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 N1819U

Summary

On 19 July 1989 at about 21:00 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 registered N1819U, operated by United Airlines, was involved in an accident near Sioux City, Iowa, United States. 296 people were on board and 111 died, 47 were seriously injured, 125 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 July 1989 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Sioux City, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Sioux Gateway (SUX)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10

Registration

N1819U

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

United Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denver → Chicago

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA89MA063

111 people died.

THE INADEQUATE CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO HUMAN FACTORS LIMITATIONS IN THE INSPECTION AND QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES USED BY UNITED AIRLINES' ENGINE OVERHAUL FACILITY WHICH RESULTED IN THE FAILURE TO DETECT A FATIGUE CRACK ORIGINATING FROM A PREVIOUSLY UNDECTECTED METALLURGICAL DEFECT LOCATED IN A CRITICAL AREA OF THE STAGE 1 FAN DISK THAT WAS MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT ENGINES. THE SUBSEQUENT CATASTROPHIC DISINTEGRATION OF THE DISK RESULTED IN THE LIBERATION OF DEBRIS IN A PATTERN OF DISTRIBUTION AND WITH ENERGY LEVELS THAT EXCEEDED THE LEVEL OF PROTECTION PROVIDED BY DESIGN FEATURES OF THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS THAT OPERATED THE DC-10'S FLIGHT CONTROLS.

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 on this investigation is provided as Aviation Accident Report number AAR-90/06. To obtain a copy of this report, or to view the executive summary online, please see the Web site at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm UNITED AIRLINE FLT 232 WAS CRUISING AT FL 370, WHEN THERE WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE # 2 (TAIL MOUNTED) ENG. THIS WAS DUE TO SEPN, FRAGMENTATION & FORCEFUL DISCHARGE OF THE STAGE 1 FAN ROTOR ASSEMBLY PARTS FM THE #2 ENG (UNCONTAINED FAILURE), WHICH LED TO LOSS OF THE 3 HYD SYSTEMS THAT POWERED THE FLT CTLS. THE FLIGHTCREW EXPERIENCED SEVERE DIFFICULTIES CTLG THE ACFT, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED DRG AN EMERG LNDG AT SIOUX CITY. AN INV REVEALED EVIDENCE CONCERNING LIMITATIONS IN INSPN & QUALITY CTL PROC USED DRG ENG OVERHAUL, WHICH RESULTED IN A FAILURE TO DETECT A FATIGUE CRACK, ORIGINATING FM A PREVIOUSLY UNDETECTED METALLURGICAL DEFECT IN A CRITICAL AREA OF THE STATE 1 FAN DISK. (SEE: NTSB/AAR-90/06)

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.