Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
Friday, October 13, 1995 20:51 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly after an intermediate level-off at 13,000 feet, the crew heard a loud bang and felt the airplane shudder. They diverted to a nearby airport. During the landing roll, the engine's thrust reversers were deployed. The right engine thrust reverser deploy light illuminated. The left engine thrust reverser deploy light did not illuminate. Maintenance personnel found the left engine lower thrust reverser door had been struck repeatedly by the top reverser door. An investigation revealed broken and bent thrust reverser linkages. A pivot bolt, washers, castellated nut, and cotterpin associated with a driver linkage arm were missing. Two other company airplanes were found with a missing cotterpin from the pivot bolt. Examination of these assemblies revealed the bolt end did not protrude beyond the nut's outer edge. The result was that the cotterpin could not fit through the hole in the bolt. The manufacturer's parts manual and maintenance manual text indicated that one countersunk washer should have been below the bolt head and one flat washer under the nut. However, the corresponding illustration in the maintenance manual showed an additional washer (2 washers) under the nut.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
inadequate installation of a thrust reverser, driver linkage arm pivot bolt and nut, which resulted in the nut and bolt becoming disconnected. A factor relating to the accident was: the manufacturer's unclear information regarding the type and number of washers to be installed on the pivot bolt assembly.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/13/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2051 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | CEDAR RAPIDS |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 52404 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2052 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CID |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2076 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 17 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1415 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N945AX |
| NTSB Number | CHI96LA011 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | McDonnell Douglas |
| Aircraft Model | DC-9-31 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | DC-9-31 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 47551 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 105000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 26 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 584 |
| Airframe Hours | 50975 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ABX AIR INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 45177 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | AIRBORNE EXPRESS INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | ABXA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DSM |
| Departure City | DES MOINES |
| Departure State | IA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2043 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ILN |
| Destination City | WILLMINGTON |
| Destination State | OH |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 6 2004 10:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |