O'hare Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chicago, Illinois 60666
Wednesday, March 25, 1987 8:30 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE IN CHICAGO, FUMES & SMOKE WERE NOTED IN ZONE C OF THE CABIN, THEN THE CABIN LGTG WENT OUT & THE EMERG LGTG CAME ON. MAINT PSNL FND THE #2 APU HAD AN AUTO-SHUTDOWN DUE TO A MALFUNCTION. THE APU WAS PLACARDED AS INOP & THE ACFT WAS RTRND TO SVC. AS IT WAS CLBG, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, SMOKE BCM NOTICEABLE & THE CREW ELECTED TO RTRNTO THE ARPT & LND. AFTER LNDG, THE SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED & FIRE DEPT PSNL RPRTD NO INDCN OF SMOKE OR FIRE. SUSPECTING ONLY AN AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEM, THE CREW ELECTED TO CONT TO THE GATE. AS THEY BGN TAXIING, A FLT ATTENDANT RPRTD THE SMOKE WAS INCREASING, SO THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT & DIRECTED AN EVACUATION. A X-WIND PREVENTED PROPER DEPLOYMENT OF THESLIDES ON THE RGT SIDE OF THE ACFT. DRG THE EVACUATION, AN ELDERLY PAX, USING SLIDE L-4 ON THE LEFT SIDE, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED BY OTHERS WHO CAME DOWN THE SLIDE AFTER HIM. ALSO, 5 PAX RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES DRG EVACUATION. AN INV REVEALEDTHE SMOKE WAS CAUSED BY OIL FROM A FAILED APU BEARING WHICH LEAKED INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/25/1987
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 830
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City CHICAGO
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60666
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport O'HARE INTL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ORD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 667
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 825 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID ORD
Elevation of weather observation facility 667
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
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) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 5
Injury Total None 171
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 6
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1484
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 25 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 845
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34765
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:57PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N128AA
NTSB Number CHI87MA101
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 128
Certified Max Gross Weight 440000
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 295
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 27
Airframe Hours 29020
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address BOX 61616 DFW INTERNATION ARPT
Aircraft Owner City DALLAS
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75261
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 BX 61616 DALLAS/FT.WORTH ARPT.
Operator City DALLAS
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 ORD
Departure City CHICAGO
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 817
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code DFW
Destination City DALLAS/FT.WORTH
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Standing
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --