Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Covington, Kentucky 45275
Saturday, December 7, 1991 15:51 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 6000 FEET THERE WAS AN UNCOMMANDED REDUCTION OF POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE, ACCOMPANIED BY A WARNING OF THE THRUST REVERSER BECOMING UNLOCKED. THE ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN AND THE AIRPLANE RETURNED FOR LANDING. A READOUT OF THE DFDR DISCLOSED THE THRUST REVERSER WAS NEVER UNLOCKED. THE INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE RESTRICTOR PLACED IN THE BLEED AIR LINE USED TO HEAT THE REVERSER COMPONENTS WAS TOO LARGE AND THESE COMPONENTS HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. ELECTRICAL WINDINGS HAD FAILED AND A FALSE SIGNAL OF AN INFLIGHT THRUST REVERSER UNLOCK CAUSED THE POWER TO BE REDUCED ON THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED BY PRATT & WHITNEY AS A PW4460 AND THEN REBUILT AS A PW4152, AT WHICH TIME THE REVERSER COMPONENTS MANUFACTURED BY ROHR WERE ADDED. THE JOB WAS DESCRIBED AS A 'RUSH JOB,' AND ROHR SENT TWO MECHANICS TO ASSIST PRATT & WHITNEY IN THE REBUILD.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE INSTALLATION OF AN IMPROPER RESTRICTOR IN THE BLEED AIR LINE BY THE MANUFACTURER, WHICH CAUSED THE RVDT TO FAIL DUE TO HEAT, AND BROUGHT ABOUT THE UNCOMMANDED POWER LOSS.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 12/7/1991
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1551
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City COVINGTON
Event State KENTUCKY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 45275
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
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 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 122
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5054
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47662
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:54AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N819PA
NTSB Number NYC92IA042
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 Airbus Industrie
Aircraft Model A-310-324
Aircraft Series Identifier A310-324
Aircraft Serial Number 456
Certified Max Gross Weight 302000
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 --
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Aircraft Owner Street Address RODNEY SQUARE NORTH
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19890
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DELTA AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address HARTSFIELD INTL 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/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 1545
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code JFK
Destination City NEW YORK
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 28 2001 1:02PM
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 --