Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Memphis International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Memphis, Tennessee 38114
Saturday, August 11, 1984 1:01 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
MOMENTS AFTER THE DC-3 TOOK OFF, THE TWR CTLR NOTED THE L ENG WAS TORCHING & ASKED THE FLT IF IT WAS 'HAVING A PROBLEM.'THE CREW REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE,' THEN THE CTLR CLRD THE FLT TO LND ON ANY RWY. THE ACFT BEGAN TURNING LEFT AT THE END OF THE RWY & CONTD TURNING AT LOW ALT UNTIL IT STRUCK UTILITY POLES & CRASHED THRU A WAREHOUSE ROOF ABOUT 2 MI FM THE ARPT.A WITNESS RPRTD THE ACFT WAS AT AN ALT OF APRX 100 TO 150 FT AGL, THE L PROP WAS FEATHERED & THE R ENG WAS AT FULL PWR. AN EXAM OF THE L ENG DISCLOSED THE #14 CYLINDER WAS MISSING A SPARK PLUG FM THE FRONT SPARK PLUG HOLE. THE SPARK PLUG LEAD & 'B' NUT WERE ATTACHED TO THE IGNITION HARNESS, BUT NO PLUG WAS ATTACHED TO THE LEAD. THE SPARK PLUG HOLE & B-NUT THREADS WERE UNDAMAGED. A WHITE DEPOSIT WAS FND INSIDE THE CYLINDER SPARK PLUG THREADS & OUTSIDE THE CYLINDER, ADJACENT TO THE HOLE. THE DEPOSIT WAS IDENTIFIED TO CONTAIN HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF LEAD & BROMINE, MOST LIKELY FORMED FROM EXHAUST GASES & FUEL DURING CYLINDER OPERATION. A COMPANY MECHANIC RPRTDLY WORKED ON THE PLUGS ON THE PREVIOUS DAY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/11/1984 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 101 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | MEMPHIS |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 38114 |
| Event Date Year | 1984 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL |
| 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 | 332 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 52 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 135 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MEM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 332 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1200 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 3254 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 27418 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N70003 |
| NTSB Number | ATL84FA251 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | DOUGLAS |
| Aircraft Model | DC3C-S1C3G |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | DC3C-S1C3G |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 12938 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 26900 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 21 1984 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 63 |
| Airframe Hours | 11247 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AVIATION ENTERPRISES,INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | ROUTE #3, BOX 338 |
| Operator City | LOS FRESNOS |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 78566 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MEM |
| Departure City | MEMPHIS |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 100 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ORD |
| Destination City | CHICAGO |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 36R |
| Runway Length | 8400 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |