Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
William B. Hartsfield Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Atlanta, Georgia 30320
Wednesday, November 20, 1991 10:32 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF A PASSENGER IN ROW 18 REPORTED OBSERVING FLAMES COMING FROM THE OVERHEAD AREA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SUPPRESSED THE REPORTED AREA WITH A HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE FLIGHT DECK. HOWEVER, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT DID NOT REPORT SEEING FLAMES. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE OVERHEAD AREA AROUND ROW 18 REVEALED THAT THE CANNON PLUG CONNECTOR ADJACENT TO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD SHORTED. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATIONS OF THE CONNECTOR REVEALED THAT PINS IN THE MATING HALVES OF THE CONNECTOR WERE DAMAGED, AND APPEARED TO HAVE OCCURED WHEN A PREVIOUS CONNECTION WAS ATTEMPTED. RESEARCH EFFORTS TO DUPLICATE THE CONNECTOR FAILURE MODE FAILED. A REVIEW OF THE OPERATORS MAINTENANCE RECORDS FAILED TO DISCLOSE IF ANY MAINTANANCE HAD BEEN CONDUCTED IN THE AREA OF THE CONNECTOR. HOWEVER, THE OPERATOR COULD NOT VERIFY THAT THE CONNECTOR AND AFFECTED AREAS WERE NEVER SERVICED DURING A PREVIOUS STOPOVER
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A SHORT IN AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WHICH RESULTED IN ITS FAILURE. THE REASON FOR THE SHORT WAS NOT DETERMINED. A FACTOR WAS THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE CONNECTOR BY AN UNKNOWN MAINTENANCE PERSON.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 11/20/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1032 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ATLANTA |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30320 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WILLIAM B. HARTSFIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ATL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1020 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1050 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 2 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ATL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1020 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1600 |
| 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 | 29 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5040 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46302 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N908DL |
| NTSB Number | ATL92IA025 |
| 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 | MD-88 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | MD-88 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 49539 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 149500 |
| 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 | 147 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 20 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 750 |
| Airframe Hours | 12637 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RODNEY SQUARE |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19890 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DELTA AIR LINES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | ATLANTA AIRPORT |
| Operator City | ATLANTA |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 30320 |
| 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 Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ATL |
| Departure City | ATLANTA |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1028 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MGM |
| Destination City | MONTGOMERY |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| 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 | 27 |
| Runway Length | 9000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |