Cincinnati Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Covington, Kentucky 41011
Thursday, June 26, 1997 23:50 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The flight attendant was in the elevator when it dropped to the galley level, and she received a fractured ankle. The elevator was operated by a drive shaft with two co-located shafts. The inner shaft was located inside the secondary shaft. Examination of the elevator lift mechanism revealed that the primary shaft had failed in rotating-bending fatigue. The secondary shaft failure originated from a fatigue crack in a sharp corner of the teeth. Corrosion was found on the surface of the crack. The shafts were inspected at 300-hour intervals, and had last been inspected 33 hours prior to the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the failure of the primary and secondary elevator driveshafts, and the failure of maintenance personnel to detect the failure of the primary shaft during scheduled inspections.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/26/1997
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2350
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City COVINGTON
Event State KENTUCKY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 41011
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 CINCINNATI REGIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CVG
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
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 2354 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID CVG
Elevation of weather observation facility 897
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Bright
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
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) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 15
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 95
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1003
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 27 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 153
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:21PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N723DA
NTSB Number NYC97LA129
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Lockheed
Aircraft Model L-1011-385-1
Aircraft Series Identifier L-1011-385
Aircraft Serial Number 193C-1150
Certified Max Gross Weight 442000
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 0
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Jun 23 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 33
Airframe Hours 60686
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address HARTSFIELD INTL AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City ATLANTA
Aircraft Owner State GA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 30320
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code DALA
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/Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code CVG
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code ATL
Destination City ATLANTA
Destination State GA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Taxi
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
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 --