McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 N93S
20 February 1997 · Des Moines, Iowa, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 February 1997 at about 12:45 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 registered N93S was involved in an incident near Des Moines, Iowa, United States. 36 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.
The record
- Date
- at 12:45
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Des Moines, Iowa, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15
- Registration
- N93S
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Minneapolis → Kansas City
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- CHI97IA072
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
Probable cause
the cross tie relay shorted resulting in a fire in the left main electrical equipment rack.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
There was an electrical fire during cruise flight at FL310. The flight crew extinguished the flames by turning off both generators and the battery switch. The flight diverted to Des Moines, Iowa, where it landed without further incident. Inspection of the airplane revealed the cross tie relay along with four other relays and their associated wiring in the left main equipment rack near the left forward cabin door were charred. Investigation revealed the fire was a result of a phase-to-phase short in the cross tie relay arc box. The short resulted from relay contact wear products (metal dust) migrating through the arc box. The relay manufacturer recommended a 7,000 hour time between overhaul (TBO) for this relay when it is used as a cross tie relay. The aircraft manufacturer recommended a 7,000 hour TBO regardless of how the relay is used. The operator used a 14,000 hour TBO, based on an FAA approved TBO reliability program for the relay installed in a vertical or horizontal orientation. The failed relay had a total of 7,775.26 hours since overhaul.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas DC-9 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 1997 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | American Airlines, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1997 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) | Seattle, Washington, United States | Alaska Airlines | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 1997 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | Houston, Texas, United States | Continental Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 1997 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83) | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | Trans World Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | Flint, Michigan, United States | Northwest Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1997 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 | Memphis, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1997 | Cessna 172 | Ottumwa, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-28-140 | Mapleton, Iowa, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 1997 | Cessna 172M | Keokuk, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 1997 | Cessna 150 | Larchwood, Iowa, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Aug 1997 | Swearingen SA226TC | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Sep 1997 | Bucker Flugzeugbau JUNGMANN | Blakesburg, Iowa, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |