Plane Crash List

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 N1842U

8 September 1985 · Washington, District of Columbia, United States · Minor injuries

Summary

On 8 September 1985 at about 20:00 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 registered N1842U, operated by United Airlines, was involved in an incident near Washington, District of Columbia, United States. 176 people were on board. The aircraft was slightly damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

The record

Date
at 20:00
Classification
Incident
Location
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Nearest airport
Dulles Intl (IAD)
Coordinates
Not recorded
Aircraft
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
Registration
N1842U
Category
Airplane
Engines
3
Operator
United Airlines
Operating rule
Part 121: Air Carrier
Purpose of flight
Unknown
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Los Angeles → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Minor
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
BFO85IA074

People

Injuries not recorded.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
176 0 0 0 175

Probable cause

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

NORTHWEST FLIGHT 78 (NW78), A B-757, WAS PARKED AT GATE 17 FACING EAST WITH MOBILE PASSENGER LOUNGE (MPL) DOCKED AT L1 DOOR. UNITED 52, A DC-10, TAXIED IN EASTERLY DIRECTION BY LEFT SIDE OF NW78, THEN TURNED RIGHT TO SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING TO FOLLOW LEAD-IN LINE TO GATE 15. DC-10 WAS ON LEAD-IN HEADING WITH NOSEWHEEL ABOUT 3' TO 6' RIGHT OF LINE & FOLLOWING SIGNALS FROM GUIDEMAN, WHEN RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK AFT END OF MPL. DRIVER OF MPL WAS STANDING ON GANGWAY & FELL BACKWARD INTO 757 & RECEIVED MINOR INJURY. BOTH PLANES RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE; MPL WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. UNITED HAD RECENTLY BEGUN TO USE GATE 15 FOR DC-10'S. AT THAT TIME, NW WAS USING DC-10 ON FLT 78, WHICH DEPLANED THRU L2 DOOR, BUT A WEEK BEFORE INCIDENT, DC-10 WAS REPLACED WITH 757 THAT NORMALLY DEPLANED THRU L1 DOOR. NW78'S ARRIVAL WAS LATE THAT DAY, SO DEPLANING WAS STILL IN PROGRESS WHEN FLIGHT 52 ARRIVED. MEASUREMENTS CONFIRMED INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE EXISTED FOR DC-10 AT GATE 15, WHEN MPL WAS DOCKED WITH 757 AT GATE 17.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other McDonnell Douglas DC-10 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
27 Jun 1985 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
N129AA
San Juan
no coordinates
- Serious injuries -
3 Sep 1985 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
N112AA
Abilene, Texas, United States - Minor injuries -
28 May 1985 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
N108AA
Jamaica, New York, United States - No injuries -
8 Aug 1985 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
N111AA
Detroit, Michigan, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
10 Aug 1986 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40
N184AT
Chicago, Illinois, United States
no coordinates
- Unknown -
3 Jan 1986 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
N101AA
Detroit, Michigan, United States American Airlines, Inc. No injuries -

All 92 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
16 Apr 1985 Boeing 727-200
N400DL
Washington, District of Columbia, United States - No injuries -
17 Jan 1985 Aerospatiale SA 360C
N42CP
Washington, District of Columbia, United States - Minor injuries -
17 May 1986 Cessna 340A
N6828P
Washington, District of Columbia, United States - Minor injuries -
8 Sep 1984 Dassault/Sud FAN JET FALCON
N460MC
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
no coordinates
Hinderliter Industries No injuries -
6 Nov 1986 Boeing 757-251
N516US
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
31 Aug 1984 Beechcraft 58
N72TM
Washington, District of Columbia, United States Gibson Aviation No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States