Airbus A-310-324 N819PA

Summary

On 7 December 1991 at about 20:51 local time, a Airbus A-310-324 registered N819PA, operated by Delta Airlines, was involved in an incident near Covington, Kentucky, United States. 122 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 December 1991 at 20:51

Classification

Incident

Location

Covington, Kentucky, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Airbus A-310-324

Registration

N819PA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Delta Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → New York

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC92IA042

Nobody was injured.

THE INSTALLATION OF AN IMPROPER RESTRICTOR IN THE BLEED AIR LINE BY THE MANUFACTURER, WHICH CAUSED THE RVDT TO FAIL DUE TO HEAT, AND BROUGHT ABOUT THE UNCOMMANDED POWER LOSS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 6000 FEET THERE WAS AN UNCOMMANDED REDUCTION OF POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE, ACCOMPANIED BY A WARNING OF THE THRUST REVERSER BECOMING UNLOCKED. THE ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN AND THE AIRPLANE RETURNED FOR LANDING. A READOUT OF THE DFDR DISCLOSED THE THRUST REVERSER WAS NEVER UNLOCKED. THE INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE RESTRICTOR PLACED IN THE BLEED AIR LINE USED TO HEAT THE REVERSER COMPONENTS WAS TOO LARGE AND THESE COMPONENTS HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. ELECTRICAL WINDINGS HAD FAILED AND A FALSE SIGNAL OF AN INFLIGHT THRUST REVERSER UNLOCK CAUSED THE POWER TO BE REDUCED ON THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED BY PRATT & WHITNEY AS A PW4460 AND THEN REBUILT AS A PW4152, AT WHICH TIME THE REVERSER COMPONENTS MANUFACTURED BY ROHR WERE ADDED. THE JOB WAS DESCRIBED AS A 'RUSH JOB,' AND ROHR SENT TWO MECHANICS TO ASSIST PRATT & WHITNEY IN THE REBUILD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.