Douglas DC-9-31 N8986E

Summary

On 4 June 2002 at about 00:28 local time, a Douglas DC-9-31 registered N8986E was involved in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. 70 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.

Date

4 June 2002 at 00:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Minneapolis/St. Paul Intl (MSP)

Coordinates

44.8806, -93.2169

Aircraft

Douglas DC-9-31

Registration

N8986E

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Louisville → Minneapolis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CHI02FA148

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the right main landing gear due to fatigue.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During landing rollout the right main landing gear (RMLG) collasped. The captain reported a normal landing was completed by the first officer and when he took over control of the airplane "the aircraft dropped sharply to the right and we began skidding down the runway with a continous warning horn. I continued braking and the aircraft came to a stop on centerline with a significant right lean." According to the NTSB Materials Laboratory Factual Report, the outer cylinder of the RMLG was fractured through the transition area above the fused section, with the fracture located approximately 19 inches from the upper end of the cylinder. The factual report noted the fracture initiation point "lies in the parting plane for the cylinder forging. The dark spot [fracture initiation point] was orientated transverse to the gear about 28 7/8 inches from the lower end of the cylinder." According to the factual report, multiple inclusions and intergranular cracks were uncovered within the examined fracture sample. The inclusions were mostly oxides of aluminum and calcium and some inclusions contained small sulfides of iron and manganese. The report noted there were fracture features that were consistent with overstress separation "emanating from the dark spot [fracture initiation point] with mostly ductile dimple formations and some cleavage like features."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.