Boeing 717-200 N978AT
5 March 2004 · Atlanta, Georgia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 5 March 2004 at about 20:39 local time, a Boeing 717-200 registered N978AT, operated by Airtran Airways Inc, was involved in an incident near Atlanta, Georgia, United States. 118 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:39
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- The William B Hartsfield Atlan (ATL)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 717-200
- Registration
- N978AT
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Airtran Airways Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Atlanta → Minneapolis
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL04IA085
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 118 |
Probable cause
The failure of the tantalum capacitor and the permanent magnet generator input transformer which resulted in total electrical system failure.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the captain, during the climb out from runway 26L at approximately 200 feet, the number 6 display unit on the pilot's instrument panel went blank and the engine alert display left generator off alert displayed. The first officer requested radar vectors from the Atlanta Tower. After contacting the tower the airplane had a complete electrical power failure, and communications with the Atlanta Tower was lost. Emergency electrical power was restored shortly after the electrical failure. The flight attendants advised the captain that there was smoke in the aft part of the cabin area. The captain and first officer "smelled an electrical burning smell", and declared an emergency. The captain returned to the airport and made an emergency landing, and evacuated the airplane on runway 9R. Examination of the Power Conversion Distribution Unit revealed that the tantalum capacitor and the permanent magnet generator input transformer failed. The failed transformer was the apparent source of the smoke in the cabin. No other anomalies were reported by the captain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Boeing 717 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 2004 | Boeing 717-200 | Mackay, Australia | Jetstar Airways | Unknown | - |
| 10 Aug 2004 | Boeing 717-200 | Melbourne, Australia | Jetstar | Unknown | - |
| 27 Mar 2003 | Boeing 717-200 | Flushing, New York, United States | Air Tran Airways | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 May 2005 | Boeing 717-200 | Union Star, Missouri, United States | Midwest Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 2003 | Boeing 717-200 | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 2005 | Boeing 717-200 | Launceston, Australia | - | Unknown | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2004 | Beechcraft B-55 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Jun 2004 | Robinson R44 | Barnesville, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 9 Sep 2004 | Piper PA-32-260 | Kennesaw, Georgia, United States | Adam Kolaczek | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Sep 2004 | Air Tractor AT-401B | Bainbridge, Georgia, United States | East River Flying Service LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Jan 2004 | Eurocopter France EC120B | Jonesboro, Georgia, United States | William K. Riley | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2004 | Cessna 172 | Kennesaw, Georgia, United States | Superior Flight School Inc | No injuries | - |