Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Boston Logan Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Boston, Massachusetts 02101
Tuesady, March 6, 2001 1:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The three-engine jet was parked outside in snowy weather all day. During the 2 hours prior to departure, the airplane was treated three times with de-ice and anti-ice fluid. At takeoff, sparks were observed coming from the #2 (center), tail-mounted engine. No abnormal indications were observed on the engine instruments in the cockpit, but a slight vibration was felt, and the flight crew elected to return to the departure airport. At touchdown, reverse thrust was selected on all three engines and a fire erupted from the #2 engine. Both the flight crew in the airplane, and crash/fire/rescue personnel on the ground responded to the fire, and no one was injured. An FAA airworthiness directive mandated that a thorough preflight inspection of the #2 engine inlet and bellmouth area be conducted in icing conditions. The maintenance personnel that performed the de-ice procedure and the preflight inspection, said that a puddle of de-ice fluid was visible in the #2 engine bellmouth area. Post-accident examination of the #2 engine revealed "soft body" damage, consistent with the ingestion of ice, and "hard body" damage, consistent with the ingestion of ice-damaged engine parts. Examination of the airplane revealed that the heated bellmouth drain-line modification that was noted in the logbook, had not been completed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The inadequate de-ice and preflight inspection procedure of the #2 engine inlet and bellmouth area by company maintenance personnel that resulted in ice ingestion and foreign object damage of the #2 engine.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 3/6/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 100 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Boston |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02101 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 422200N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0710000W |
| Event Location Airport | Boston Logan |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BOS |
| 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 | 20 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 100 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BOS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 20 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 24 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.56 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -1660 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Heavy |
| METAR weather report | KBOS 070554Z 01016G24KT 2SM -SN BR FEW012 BKN019 O |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13774 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NE Ops |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 6 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 133 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 26 2003 8:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA Boston Logan |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N375FE |
| NTSB Number | IAD01IA034 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | McDonnell Douglas |
| Aircraft Model | DC-10 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 46613 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 443000 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 3 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 25 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 35 |
| Airframe Hours | 72372 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FEDERAL EXPRESS CORP |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3131 Democrat |
| Aircraft Owner City | Memphis |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38118 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | FDEA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | BOS |
| Departure City | Boston |
| Departure State | MA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 15 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MEM |
| Destination City | Memphis |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 29 2002 3:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 04R |
| Runway Length | 10005 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |