Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Brownsville/South Padre Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Brownsville, Texas 78521
Wednesday, April 29, 1998 21:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While taxiing to takeoff, all four occupants of the DC-8 freighter became short of breath. They donned oxygen masks, and the flight returned to the ramp. Cargo included 960 pounds of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) in 198 separate 4.85-pound blocks, used as a refrigerant for frozen shrimp. Sublimation of dry ice to the gaseous state occurs constantly. When the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas concentration reaches 0.5% shortness of breath may occur, at 2%, depth of respiration increases, and above 4%, breathing becomes rapid and very deep. At sea level and 70 degrees F (incident conditions were 23 feet msl and 66 degrees F), 0.4 pounds of CO2 gas in the cockpit of a DC-8 produces a 0.5% concentration and 3.3 pounds produces a 4% concentration. In 10 minutes, at sublimation rates of 1% and 14% per hour, 960 pounds of dry ice produces 1.6 and 22.4 pounds of CO2 gas, respectively. The 1% sublimation rate is commonly used when calculating amounts of dry ice that can safely be carried on aircraft; however, it was determined for bulk shipments of dry ice and may not be applicable to dry ice used as a refrigerant. The 14% rate was determined using a single 5 pound block of ice.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flightcrew experienced physical impairment resulting from an accumulation in the cockpit of carbon dioxide fumes produced by dry ice, a hazardous material, carried in the main cargo compartment.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 4/29/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2100 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | BROWNSVILLE |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78521 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | BROWNSVILLE/SOUTH PADRE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BRO |
| 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 | 23 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2056 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BRO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 23 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 4 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5006 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 30 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2001 1:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N507DC |
| NTSB Number | FTW98IA196 |
| 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 | Douglas |
| Aircraft Model | DC-8-51 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | DC-8-51 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45855 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 315000 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 4 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 28 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 7 |
| Airframe Hours | 3636 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AGRO AIR ASSOCIATES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 524236 |
| Aircraft Owner City | MIAMI |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33152 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FINE AIRLINES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4600 NW 36TH ST, BLDG 22 |
| Operator City | MIAMI |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 33122 |
| Operator Code | FXLA |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | BRO |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LRD |
| Destination City | LAREDO |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2001 1:55PM |
| 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 | -- |