McDonnell Douglas DC-9-87 N753RA
14 March 1997 · Detroit, Michigan, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 March 1997 at about 11:47 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-87 registered N753RA, operated by Reno Air, was involved in an accident near Detroit, Michigan, United States. 111 people were on board and nobody was injured. 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 11:47
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Nearest airport
- Metro-Wayne County (DTW)
- Coordinates
- 42.2009, -83.4804
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9-87
- Registration
- N753RA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Reno Air
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Reno
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- CHI97FA083
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 111 |
Probable cause
the captains failure to have the airplane deiced prior to takeoff which resulted in ice ingestion into both engines. Factors associated with the accident were the icing weather conditions, wing ice, an inadequate detection of the ice during the preflight, and the dark lighting conditions when the first officer was performing the preflight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane experienced a partial loss of power on both engines during takeoff. The flight returned and landed without further incident. Post accident examination of the engines revealed the compressor fan blades on both engines had sustained soft body impact damage. The airplane had been subjected to sub-zero temperatures during the previous flight and had landed with the wing tanks almost full. The airplane was on the ground for about two and a half hours prior to the accident takeoff during which time rain was falling. Both the captain and copilot reported that there were no signs of ice on the wings during their early morning preflight.
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 | - |
| 20 Feb 1997 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | Flint, Michigan, United States | Northwest Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 1997 | Cessna 172P | Fowlerville, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1997 | Dietrich NIEUPORT 12 | Byron, Michigan, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Cessna 170B | Karlin, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-18 | Middleville, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-17 | Cadillac, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-34-200 | MacKinac Island, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |