Los Angeles International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Los Angeles, California 90045
Saturday, July 13, 1991 9:08 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING FLIGHT, THE #2 ENGINE FIRE DETECTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE CAPTAIN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. AFTER RETURNING TO THE DEPARTURE AIRFIELD, AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY AN EMERGENCY SLIDE EVACUATION OF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR ACTUAL FIRE. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINE'S FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM REVEALED THAT A SYSTRON DONNER FIRE DETECTOR, PN 4361, HAD FAILED. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE'S FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM, SYSTRON DONNER FIRE DETECTOR.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 7/13/1991
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 908
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LOS ANGELES
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90045
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 7
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 On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 126
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 851 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID LAX
Elevation of weather observation facility 126
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1400
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
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) --
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 12
Injury Total None 215
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 12
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5026
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45288
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:32AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N111AA
NTSB Number LAX91IA308
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 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS
Aircraft Model DC-10-10
Aircraft Series Identifier DC-10-10
Aircraft Serial Number 46511
Certified Max Gross Weight 413000
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 225
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 61916
Aircraft Owner City DFW AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 752619616
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AMERICAN AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 61916
Operator City DFW AIRPORT
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 752619616
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 Only
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 821
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code BOS
Destination City BOSTON
Destination State MA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 25
Runway Length 10285
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --