McDonnell Douglas DC-10 N375FE

Summary

On 6 March 2001 at about 06:00 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 registered N375FE was involved in an incident near Boston, Massachusetts, United States. 4 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.

Date

6 March 2001 at 06:00

Classification

Incident

Location

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Boston Logan (BOS)

Coordinates

42.3667, -71.0000

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-10

Registration

N375FE

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boston → Memphis

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

IAD01IA034

Nobody was injured.

The inadequate de-ice and preflight inspection procedure of the #2 engine inlet and bellmouth area by company maintenance personnel that resulted in ice ingestion and foreign object damage of the #2 engine.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The three-engine jet was parked outside in snowy weather all day. During the 2 hours prior to departure, the airplane was treated three times with de-ice and anti-ice fluid. At takeoff, sparks were observed coming from the #2 (center), tail-mounted engine. No abnormal indications were observed on the engine instruments in the cockpit, but a slight vibration was felt, and the flight crew elected to return to the departure airport. At touchdown, reverse thrust was selected on all three engines and a fire erupted from the #2 engine. Both the flight crew in the airplane, and crash/fire/rescue personnel on the ground responded to the fire, and no one was injured. An FAA airworthiness directive mandated that a thorough preflight inspection of the #2 engine inlet and bellmouth area be conducted in icing conditions. The maintenance personnel that performed the de-ice procedure and the preflight inspection, said that a puddle of de-ice fluid was visible in the #2 engine bellmouth area. Post-accident examination of the #2 engine revealed "soft body" damage, consistent with the ingestion of ice, and "hard body" damage, consistent with the ingestion of ice-damaged engine parts. Examination of the airplane revealed that the heated bellmouth drain-line modification that was noted in the logbook, had not been completed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.