Ted Stevens Anchorage Intl. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Anchorage, Alaska 99502
Sunday, September 26, 2004 8:00 AKD

The crew of a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 airplane reported a partial loss of engine power during the takeoff roll. The crew aborted the takeoff, and discovered that the left engine had sustained foreign object impact damage. The airplane had remained parked outside overnight prior to the incident flight, and heavy wet snow/slush was in the parking area and on the taxiway at the time of departure. The captain reported that she did not request to have chemical de-icing done during the preflight, since the outside air temperature was above freezing at the time of departure. The captain reported that there were no signs of ice on the wings during the early morning preflight. A maintenance technician visually inspected both engine inlets for any accumulation of debris prior to departure. The incident airplane was not equipped with an inboard, over-wing heater blanket system, but was equipped with a series of non-skid strips and tuft triangular decal/symbols, that aid crews in performing a preflight tactile inspection of the upper inboard wing surface. The operator's safety officer reported that the crew did not perform a tactile inspection of the upper wing surfaces prior to the incident departure. The MD-80 flight crew operating manual states: "Clear ice can also form on wing upper surface when cold-soaked fuel is in the main wing fuel tanks and the airplane is exposed to conditions of high humidity, rain, drizzle, or fog at ambient temperatures well above freezing." A weather observation at the time of the incident consisted of: Sky conditions and ceiling, 200 feet, few, 600 feet, overcast; visibility, 10 statute mile; wind, 290 degrees at 8 knots; temperature, 37 degrees F; dew point, 37 degrees F.

The loss of engine power due to the flight crew's failure to follow published procedures and directives, and an inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in ice ingestion into the left engine during the takeoff roll. Factors associated with the incident were icing conditions and ice on the wings.