Los Angeles International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Los Angeles, California 90009
Tuesady, October 19, 1993 10:01 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

FOLLOWING TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 6,200 FEET MSL OVER THE OCEAN WHEN THE CREW HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE FIRE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE POWER DECREASED TO ZERO. THE ENGINE WAS SECURED AND THE FLIGHT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEM AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND THE PASSENGERS DISEMBARKED AT THE TERMINAL GATE. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SUSTAINED AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE COMPRESSOR. THE 6TH STAGE DISK OF THE 3-TO-9 COMPRESSOR SPOOL WAS MISSING COMPLETELY FROM THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. SIMILAR DISK FAILURES HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO A PHENOMENON KNOWN AS DWELL TIME FATIGUE. THIS MAY OCCUR WHEN TITANIUM CRYSTALS FORM INTO MICROSTRUCTURE COLONIES DURING THE FORGING AND MANUFACTURING PROCESS. THE DISK HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED AND THE EXACT FAILURE MODE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

a separation of the number 6 stage high pressure compressor disk for an undetermined reason.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 10/19/1993
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1001
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LOS ANGELES
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90009
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID LAX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 8
Degrees magnetic from airport 197
Airport Elevation 126
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1051 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID LAX
Elevation of weather observation facility 126
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
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) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
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 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 86
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5036
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 19 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N41063
NTSB Number LAX94IA018
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Airbus Industrie
Aircraft Model A-300-605R
Aircraft Series Identifier A-300-605R
Aircraft Serial Number 506
Certified Max Gross Weight 337800
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 267
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Sep 24 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 175
Airframe Hours 13905
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILMINGTON TRUST CO.
Aircraft Owner Street Address RODNEY SQUARE NORTH
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19890
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AMERICAN AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 619616
Operator City DFW AIRPORT
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 75261
Operator Code AALA
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
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 959
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MIA
Destination City MIAMI
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Mar 19 2001 4:56PM
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 --