Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Dallas/Ft Worth Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dallas, Texas 75261
Saturday, June 14, 1997 17:25 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The ATR-72-12 transport airplane was at 5,000 feet MSL when the #2 engine fire warning light illuminated. After shutting down the #2 engine and actuating the fire extinguishing system, the crew executed a single engine landing followed by a normal taxi to the ramp and normal passenger debarkation. Inspection of the P&W 127 series engine showed that a fuel transfer tube adjacent to the #2 nozzle was misaligned and 'backed out' of its retaining clip. Fuel streaking and fire damage were evident down the right side of the engine from the #2 nozzle downward along the fuel nozzle ring assembly. The incident occurred 3.4 hours after the fuel nozzles, retaining clips, and transfer tubes were replaced during maintenance on the #2 engine. The engine manufacturer had published several service bulletins addressing the potential of incorrectly installing the retaining clips and recommending that existing clips be replaced with stronger lock plates that provide a positive locking mechanism to avoid misalignment during installation. The manufacturer issued a Service Bulletin in October 1994 and Transport Canada issued an AD in November 1996, both citing how the retaining clips could be installed 'out of position' and recommending that operators use the newer lock plate. The FAA had published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on July 17, 1995, addressing the aforementioned issues. FAA AD 98-14-02 was published in the Federal Register on July 1, 1998. The AD was similar to the Canadian AD issued on November 19, 1996.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the engine fire during descent resulting from a loose, leaking fuel transfer tube due to improper installation and alignment of the transfer tube's retaining clip. Contributing factors were the inadequate design of the clamp, the failure of the operator to comply with the recommendations of the manufacturer's Service Bulletin (SB), and the failure of the FAA to issue an Airworthiness Directive to mandate the manufacturer's SB.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 6/14/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1725 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | DALLAS |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 75261 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | DALLAS/FT WORTH INTL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DFW |
| 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 | 1730 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DFW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 603 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 26 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | 32 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10079 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 14 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1920 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 17 2001 8:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N438AT |
| NTSB Number | FTW97IA222 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerospatiale |
| Aircraft Model | ATR-72-12 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | ATR-72-12 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 438 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 48500 |
| 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 | 64 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 68 |
| Airframe Hours | 5444 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AMR LEASING CORP |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P O BOX 619616 |
| Aircraft Owner City | DALLAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75261 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SIMMONS AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1700 20TH STREET PO BOX 612527 |
| Operator City | DFW AIRPORT |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 75261 |
| Operator Code | SIMA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | HOU |
| Departure City | HOUSTON |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1627 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | DFW |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 10 2001 4:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| 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 | -- |