Delta Air Lines Flight 1086

Last updated

Delta Air Lines Flight 1086
Delta Air Lines flight 1086 from Atlanta to New York LaGuardia on 05 March 2015.jpg
Flight 1086 as it came to rest on the seawall after breaking through the airport perimeter fence
Accident
DateMarch 5, 2015 (2015-03-05)
Summary Runway excursion following loss of directional control due to pilot error
Site LaGuardia Airport, New York City, United States
40°46′33.6″N73°51′47.9″W / 40.776000°N 73.863306°W / 40.776000; -73.863306
Aircraft
Aircraft type McDonnell Douglas MD-88
Operator Delta Air Lines
IATA flight No.DL1086
ICAO flight No.DAL1086
Call signDELTA 1086
Registration N909DL
Flight origin Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, United States
DestinationLaGuardia Airport, New York City, United States
Occupants132
Passengers127
Crew5
Fatalities0
Injuries29 (minor)
Survivors132

Delta Air Lines Flight 1086 was a scheduled Delta Air Lines domestic passenger flight between Atlanta and New York's LaGuardia Airport. On March 5, 2015, the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 aircraft veered off the runway shortly after landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The plane ran up the seawall berm and struck the perimeter fence, sliding along it for approximately 940 feet (290 m) before coming to rest with the nose of the aircraft hanging over the berm above Flushing Bay. There were no fatalities, although 29 people suffered minor injuries. [7] [8] The aircraft was seriously damaged and written off. [9]

Contents

The final report by the NTSB found the probable cause of the accident was the pilot's "inability to maintain directional control of the airplane due to his application of excessive reverse thrust, which degraded the effectiveness of the rudder in controlling the airplane's heading." [10] : 76 

Aircraft and crew

N909DL, the MD-88 involved in the accident, photographed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in January 2014 N909DL (12123202303).jpg
N909DL, the MD-88 involved in the accident, photographed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in January 2014

The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration number N909DL, serial number 49540, manufactured in July 1987 and delivered new to Delta on December 30, 1987. [1] [10] : 13  It had accumulated 71,196 total flight hours and 54,865 total flight cycles prior to the accident. [10] : 13  It was owned and operated by Delta ever since the aircraft was put into airline service. [11] [12]

Regularly scheduled 600-flight hour, 2200-flight hour, and 760-day maintenance checks were completed in the six months prior to the accident, all with no discrepancies. [10] : 13  The aircraft's last major maintenance check was on September 22, 2014, in Jacksonville, Florida and included, among other things, tests of the autobrake, anti-skid and auto-spoiler systems. The aircraft's last overnight service check was completed March 2, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. [1]

The captain was 56-year-old Theodore W. Lauer, a former United States Air Force (1980–1989) pilot who had joined Delta in August 1989. He had 15,200 flight hours, including 11,000 hours on the MD-88 and MD-90. [10] : 10–11  [13] [14]

The first officer was 46-year-old David W. Phillips, who had been with Delta since 2007 and had logged 11,000 flight hours, with 3,000 of them on the MD-88 and MD-90. He previously served as a United States Navy pilot from 1991 to 2012. [10] : 11–12  Members of the flight crew were not publicly identified.

History of the flight

Flight 1086 took off from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 8:45am EST, and was scheduled to land at LaGuardia Airport at 10:48 am. [15] [16] LaGuardia Airport was under falling snow and freezing fog conditions at the time of arrival, with the captain reportedly telling passengers that weather problems could cause a delay. [2] Another Delta Air Lines MD-88 had landed on runway 13 about three minutes prior to Flight 1086. [7] The pilots of this preceding flight confirmed that air traffic controllers relayed the braking action reports to the flight crew of Delta 1086; these reports were based on pilot reports from two other flights that landed several minutes prior to flight 1086. Both earlier flights had reported the braking action on the runway as "good". Statements by the pilots to the NTSB after the crash revealed that the runway appeared all white (covered with snow) when the airplane descended out of the overcast, seconds before landing. [1]

Accident

LaGuardia Airport: Runway 13 starts at the bottom-center of the photo and extends towards the top left. LaGuardia Airport.JPG
LaGuardia Airport: Runway 13 starts at the bottom-center of the photo and extends towards the top left.

The aircraft was approaching runway 13 to land on what appeared to be a normal final approach. The aircraft was aligned with the runway centerline, [17] the autopilot remained engaged until the aircraft was about 230 feet (70 m) above ground level, and airspeed during the final approach was about 140 knots (160 mph; 260 km/h), and 133 knots (153 mph; 246 km/h) at touchdown. The aircraft touched down at 11:02 am with the main landing gear close to the runway centerline. [17] The MD-88 veered off the left side of the runway shortly after touchdown, about 3,000 feet (910 m) from the approach end of the runway, on a heading approximately 10 degrees left of the runway heading. The MD-88 skidded left across the snowy airfield until about 4,100 feet (1,200 m) from the approach end of the runway, when the aircraft ran up the berm and the left wing struck the airport perimeter fence. It then was forced back onto a heading parallel with runway 13, and continued sliding in this direction for another 900 feet (270 m) along the perimeter fence, before coming to rest about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) from the approach end of runway 13, with the nose of the aircraft hanging over the berm. [1] The left wing of the aircraft destroyed approximately 940 feet (290 m) of airport perimeter fence. [1]

The aircraft sustained significant structural damage. [1] There was major damage to the left wing's leading edge, leading edge slats, trailing edge flaps, and spoilers. The left wing fuel tank was breached near the outboard end of the outboard flaps. The front radome and weather radar were heavily damaged, and damage to the underside of the fuselage extended from the front of the aircraft all the way back to the left front passenger door. The nose landing gear well and the main electronics bay also were damaged. [1] Delta subsequently declared the aircraft a hull loss, making the accident the 37th hull loss of a McDonnell Douglas MD-80. [9] [18]

The crew of the plane managed a complete evacuation only after more than 17 minutes, while the aircraft was leaking fuel. [10] : 63  Twenty-nine passengers suffered minor injuries, all of whom were sent to the hospital. Two days later, all injured passengers were discharged.

The airport was closed immediately after the accident at approximately 11:00 am. The other runway was reopened beginning at 2:30 pm. [19] Runway 13/31 was closed until 10:30 am the next morning as emergency services cleared the accident site and the aircraft was removed into a hangar. [2]

Among the passengers on the flight was former football player Larry Donnell. [20]

Investigation

On March 6, 2015, the NTSB reported that the cockpit voice recorder was successfully downloaded, and contained two hours of good quality recordings and captured the entire flight. Also, the flight data recorder (a 25-hour tape-based recorder) was examined and found to have captured the entire flight and approximately 50 parameters of data, including airspeed, altitude, heading, and information on engines and flight controls, among other data. [21] An NTSB meteorologist examined the weather conditions at the time of the accident, to determine if weather was a contributing factor to the accident. The NTSB also analyzed and developed the transcript of the cockpit voice recorder. [1]

NTSB investigators examined and tested the antiskid, autobrake, and thrust reverser systems on the aircraft. The autobrake selector switch in the cockpit was found in the "max" position. The tailcone handle in the main cabin had been actuated, presumably for evacuation purposes, and the rear tailcone had detached. [1]

Initial statements given by the pilots to the NTSB reveal a number of factors that may have contributed to the accident. The pilots stated they based their decision to land on braking action reports of "good," which they received from air traffic control before landing (based on reports given by aircraft landing immediately before them). Another Delta MD-88 landed on the same runway just three minutes prior to the accident flight's landing. [17] The runway appeared "all white" to the pilots when they broke out of the overcast, indicating it was covered with snow. The NTSB investigation found that runway snow clearing had most recently taken place about 20–25 minutes prior to the accident. [17] Upon landing, the pilots noted that the automatic spoilers did not deploy to slow the aircraft as they should have, but the first officer quickly deployed them manually. Also, the autobrakes were set to "max," but the pilots did not sense any wheel brake deceleration. The captain also reported that he was unable to prevent the airplane from drifting left. [1]

According to the NTSB investigation update issued on April 2, 2015, investigators found that Delta's MD-88 pilot operational materials (manuals) contained guidance recommending that pilots limit the reverse thrust engine pressure ratio (EPR) to 1.3 when landing on "contaminated" runways, i.e., runways with increased levels of risk related to deceleration and directional control. The investigation has found that the EPR was at 1.9 at six seconds after touchdown, however, based on readout from the flight data recorder. The investigation also found that, upon landing, brake pressure increased in a manner consistent with autobrake application. [17]

According to a March 9, 2015 article in The Wall Street Journal , "Pilots and air-safety experts have long known that when the MD-88s reversers are deployed, its rudder, or large vertical tail panel intended to help turn the nose, sometimes may not be powerful enough to control left or right deviations from the center of runways." [22]

The final report by the NTSB found the probable cause of the accident was the pilot's "inability to maintain directional control of the airplane due to his application of excessive reverse thrust, which degraded the effectiveness of the rudder in controlling the airplane's heading." [10] : 76 

Aftermath

On February 28, 2018, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey filed a lawsuit against Delta and Captain Lauer, citing negligence was involved in the accident. [23] The Port Authority dropped the charges on March 1, 2018 according to NY State Supreme Court records.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas DC-10</span> Wide-body three–engine airliner

The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is an American trijet wide-body aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 was intended to succeed the DC-8 for long-range flights. It first flew on August 29, 1970; it was introduced on August 5, 1971, by American Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas MD-80</span> Jet airliner model, series based on the DC-9

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second generation of the DC-9 family, originally designated as the DC-9-80 and later stylized as the DC-9 Super 80 . Stretched, enlarged wing and powered by higher bypass Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines, the aircraft program was launched in October 1977. The MD-80 made its first flight on October 18, 1979, and was certified on August 25, 1980. The first airliner was delivered to launch customer Swissair on September 13, 1980, which introduced it into service on October 10, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 1420</span> June 1999 runway overrun and crash in Arkansas, US

American Airlines Flight 1420 was a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Little Rock National Airport in the United States. On June 1, 1999, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Flight 1420 overran the runway upon landing in Little Rock and crashed. 9 of the 145 people aboard were immediately killed—the captain and 8 passengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Airlines Flight 255</span> 1987 plane crash of an MD-82 in Detroit, Michigan

On August 16, 1987 a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, about 8:46 pm EDT, resulting in the deaths of all six crew members and 148 of the 149 passengers, along with two people on the ground. The sole survivor was a 4-year-old girl who sustained serious injuries. It was the second-deadliest aviation accident at the time in the United States. It is also the deadliest aviation accident to have a sole survivor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shuttle America</span> Former American regional airline

Shuttle America Corporation was an American regional airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It fed United Airlines flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) under the United Express brand, as well as Delta Air Lines flights at Atlanta (ATL), New York-LaGuardia (LGA), and New York-JFK under the Delta Connection brand. Shuttle America also operated two of three Delta Shuttle East Coast routes, serving Washington, D.C., and Chicago from New York-LaGuardia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Aire Express</span>

Grand Aire Express was an American airline based in Swanton, Ohio, US. It operated passenger and cargo charter services worldwide, as well as charter management services. Its main base began in Monroe, Michigan and then moved to Toledo Express Airport, Toledo, Ohio. with additional bases in Louisville, KY and El Paso, TX. Grand Aire Express closed down/disestablished in June 2003; however, the parent company Grand Aire Inc., is still in operation, providing On-Demand Air Charter and FBO services from their world-headquarters at the Toledo Express Airport in Swanton, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Airlines Flight 1248</span> 2005 aviation accident

Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 was a scheduled passenger flight from Baltimore, Maryland, to Chicago, Illinois, continuing on to Salt Lake City, Utah, and then to Las Vegas, Nevada. On December 8, 2005, the airplane slid off a runway at Chicago-Midway while landing in a snowstorm and crashed into automobile traffic, killing a six-year-old boy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Airlines Flight 1455</span> Aviation accident in California, USA

Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 was a scheduled passenger flight from McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, to Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport, Burbank, California, that overran the runway during landing on March 5, 2000. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-3T5, registration N668SW, came to rest on a city street adjacent to a gas station. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the incident was due to the pilots attempting to land with excessive speed. They also found that the air traffic controller placed them in a position from which their only option was a go around. Two of the passengers were seriously injured, and there were many minor injuries. As a result of the incident, the airport installed an Engineered Materials Arrestor System (EMAS) at the east end of the incident runway. The aircraft was written off, making the incident the 10th hull loss of a Boeing 737-300. This was the first major accident in the airline's 29-year history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One-Two-Go Airlines Flight 269</span> 2007 plane crash in Phuket, Thailand

One-Two-Go Airlines Flight 269 (OG269) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Bangkok to Phuket, Thailand. On 16 September 2007, about 15:41 ICT, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating the flight crashed into an embankment beside runway 27 at Phuket International Airport (HKT) bursting into flames upon impact during an attempted go-around after an aborted landing, killing 90 of the 130 persons on board. It is the third deadliest aviation incident to occur in Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 St. Louis Airport collision</span> 1994 runway collision in Missouri, United States

The 1994 St. Louis Airport collision occurred when TWA Flight 427, operated using a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, struck a Cessna 441 Conquest II during its take-off roll, killing both of its occupants. The incident took place on November 22, 1994, at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) in Bridgeton, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FedEx Express Flight 80</span> 2009 cargo plane crash in Tokyo, Japan

FedEx Express Flight 80 was a scheduled cargo flight from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in the People's Republic of China, to Narita International Airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. On March 23, 2009, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (N526FE) operating the flight crashed at 6:48 am JST, while attempting a landing on Runway 34L in gusty wind conditions. The aircraft became destabilized at flare and touchdown resulting in an unrecovered "bounced" landing with structural failure of the landing gear and airframe, and came to rest off the runway, inverted, and burning fiercely. The captain and first officer, the jet's only occupants, were both killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Air Lines Flight 9570</span> 1972 aviation accident

On May 30, 1972, Delta Air Lines Flight 9570 crashed while attempting to land at the Greater Southwest International Airport (GSW) in Fort Worth, Texas during a training flight. All four occupants aboard the training flight were killed. The crash was determined to be caused by the aircraft flying through wake turbulence, and led to sweeping changes in procedures for maintaining minimum safe distance behind aircraft that generate substantial wake turbulence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Air Lines Flight 1288</span> 1996 aviation accident

Delta Air Lines Flight 1288 was a regularly scheduled flight from Pensacola, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia. On July 6, 1996, the aircraft serving the flight, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, was on takeoff roll from Runway 17 at Pensacola when it experienced an uncontained, catastrophic turbine engine failure that caused debris from the front compressor hub of the left engine to penetrate the left aft fuselage. The cause of the engine failure was found to have been a fault in the manufacture of the fan. The failure of the airline to spot the resulting crack in the blade was a contributing factor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 2015 North American winter storm</span> North American winter storm in March 2015

The March 2015 North American winter storm was a significant snow and ice storm that plowed through much of the United States, bringing 1–2 feet (12–24 in) of snow and record cold temperatures behind it. The storm actually occurred in two phases, with the latter bringing the cold temperatures behind it in its wake. Record cold temperatures even spread down to as far as northern Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FedEx Express Flight 910</span> 2016 aviation incident

On October 28, 2016, FedEx Express Flight 910, a McDonnell Douglas MD-10-10F flying from Memphis International Airport to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport was involved in a runway skid after a landing gear collapse, which resulted in a fire completely destroying the left engine and wing. Two crew members, the only people on board, were unharmed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Air International Flight 293</span> 2019 Crash of a Miami Air International Boeing 737-800

Miami Air International Flight 293 was a military charter from Guantanamo Bay to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, operated by Miami Air International. On May 3, 2019, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating the flight overran the runway on landing. Twenty-one people were injured. The aircraft was written off, making it the 17th loss of a Boeing 737-800. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the accident to hydroplaning caused by heavy rainfall on the ungrooved runway; although the pilots were found to have made a series of errors during final approach and landing, the NTSB concluded that these errors had little effect on the final outcome, as the aircraft would have been unable to stop even if the landing had been executed properly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan International Airlines Flight 590</span> 1991 aviation accident

Ryan International Airlines Flight 590 was a cargo flight carrying mail for the United States Postal Service from Greater Buffalo International Airport (BUF) in Buffalo, New York, to Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in Indiana, with a stopover at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) in Cleveland, Ohio. On February 17, 1991, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15RC operating the flight crashed on takeoff from Cleveland during icing conditions. Both pilots, the aircraft's only occupants, were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the causes of the crash were the flight crew failing to deice their aircraft, and the inexperience of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), McDonnell Douglas, and Ryan International Airlines with icing condition on DC-9-10 aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RED Air Flight 203</span> 2022 aviation incident

RED Air Flight 203 (L5203/REA203) was a scheduled international commercial passenger flight from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to Miami International Airport by RED Air. On 21 June 2022, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft operating the service suffered a left landing gear collapse and runway excursion, causing the left wing of the aircraft to impact an antenna structure, followed by a subsequent fire on the right side of the airplane. The incident caused three people to be hospitalized with minor injuries.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "NTSB Issues Second Update on the Delta Flight 1086 Accident at LaGuardia". National Transportation Safety Board. March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Botelho, Greg (March 5, 2015). "LaGuardia Runway Reopens after Delta Flight Skids off It". CNN. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ "How Close Did Delta Flight 1086 Come to the Water Surrounding LaGuardia Airport?". The Weather Channel. March 5, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Passengers Hit Twitter, Instagram after LaGuardia Airport Skid". CBS New York. March 5, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Delta Plane Skids off LaGuardia Runway". Newsday. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Passengers describe skidding off LaGuardia runway on Delta flight". New York Business Journal. March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Dastin, Jeffrey; Jaisinghani, Sagarika (March 9, 2015). "Flight Crew Cite Brake Problem in Delta NYC Accident: NTSB". Yahoo! News. Reuters . Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  8. ↑ "US snow: Plane skids off New York runway". BBC News . March 5, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft Accident McDonnell Douglas MD-88 N909DL New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA)". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation . Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Runway Excursion During Landing, Delta Air Lines Flight 1086, Boeing MD-88, N909DL, New York, New York, March 5, 2015 (PDF) (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. September 13, 2016. NTSB/AAR-16/02. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  11. ↑ "McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 MSN 49540". Airfleets.net. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  12. ↑ "N909DL Delta Air Lines McDonnell Douglas MD-88 - cn 49540 / 1395". Planespotters.net. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Operations Group Chairman's Factual Report". National Transportation Safety Board. April 24, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Operations Attachment 1 - Interview Summaries". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ Stanglin, Doug; Mutzabaugh, Ben (March 5, 2015). "Delta plane veers off runway in landing at LaGuardia". USA Today . Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  16. ↑ Mohney, Gillian; Tan, Avianne; James, Michael S. (March 5, 2015). "Delta Airlines Plane Skids Off Runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York". ABC News . Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "NTSB Issues Third Update on the Delta Flight 1086 Accident at LaGuardia". National Transportation Safety Board. April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  18. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "McDonnell Douglas MD-80". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  19. ↑ Kearney, Laila (March 5, 2015). "Delta Jet Skids off Runway during Snowstorm at NY Airport". news.yahoo.com. Reuters . Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  20. ↑ Brinson, Will (March 5, 2015). "Giants' Larry Donnell on Delta Plane That Skidded off LaGuardia Runway". CBSSports.com . CBS Sports. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  21. ↑ "NTSB Issues Brief Update on the Delta Air Lines Accident at LaGuardia". National Transportation Safety Board. March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  22. ↑ Pasztor, Andy (March 9, 2015). "Delta Crash: Investigators Suspect Possible Brake Problems". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Delta Sued by Port Authority over LaGuardia Runway Skid". Law360 . LexisNexis. February 28, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.