McDonnell Douglas MD-88 N957DL
4 February 1996 · Denver, Colorado, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 4 February 1996 at about 23:47 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88 registered N957DL, operated by Delta Air Lines, was involved in an accident near Denver, Colorado, United States. 120 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 23:47
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Denver, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Denver International (DEN)
- Coordinates
- 39.8508, -104.7006
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas MD-88
- Registration
- N957DL
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Dfw Airport → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96LA111
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 119 |
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient airspeed to properly flare the airplane during the landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The captain said he flew what he considered to be a normal, stabilized approach, using 28 degrees of flaps and a Vref speed of 133 knots plus 5 knots. He flared the airplane over the runway and realized the sink rate was not being arrested as desired. He made a more 'aggressive' pull on the control yoke while advancing the thrust levers a 'significant amount.' The airplane landed hard, sustaining substantial damage. DFDR readout disclosed that the airspeed remained above Vref+5 knots until, at a radio altimeter altitude of 238 feet, it was 138.75 knots; thereafter, it began to drop. When the airplane touched down on the runway, airspeed was 124.75 knots, and the pitch attitude was 10.62 degrees nose up. There was a +5.54 'G' vertical acceleration spike.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas MD-88 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Nov 1996 | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | Delta Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 19 Oct 1996 | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Flushing, New York, United States | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 1996 | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Pensacola, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 13 May 1997 | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Flushing, New York, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1995 | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Monroe, Louisiana, United States | Delta Airlines | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1998 | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Covington, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 1996 | Piper PA28-151 | Falcon, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 1996 | Cessna TR182 | Telluride, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-30 | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1996 | Learjet 60 | Aspen, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 1996 | Israel 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA | Aspen, Colorado, United States | Emery Air Charter | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1996 | Piper PA-28-181 | Collbran, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |