McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 N184AT

Summary

On 10 August 1986 at about 12:15 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 registered N184AT was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois, United States. The number of people on board was not recorded. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

10 August 1986 at 12:15

Classification

Incident

Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

O'hare Intl (ORD)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40

Registration

N184AT

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Angeles → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA86IA037

Injuries not recorded.

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

A CHARTER FLT ARRIVED & DEPLANED WITHOUT INCIDENT & WITH NO INDICATION OF SMOKE, FUMES OR HEAT. COMPANY MAINT PSNL HAD PLACED DAMAGED PASSENGER SEATBACKS (INCORPORATING SOLID-STATE CHEMICAL OXYGEN GENERATORS) IN THE FWD CARGO COMPARTMENT WITH SEAT COVERS & OIL. A COMPANY MECHANIC EXAMINED THE SEATBACKS TO FIND A SERVICEABLE UNIT. HE FOUND A LOOSE OXYGEN CANISTER & HANDLED IT IMPROPERLY BY ITS OXYGEN HOSE. SUCH HANDLING CAN RELEASE THE FIRING PIN, FIRE THE PERCUSSION CAP, TRIGGER A CHEMICAL REACTION, & GENERATE OXYGEN. THIS CAN GENERATE UP TO 430 DEG OF HEAT OUTSIDE THE CANISTER. A FIRE BGNIN THE FWD CARGO COMPARTMENT IN THE VICINITY OF WHERE AN OXYGEN CANISTER WAS FND (LATER) WITH A DENTED STRIKER PLATE. THE SEAT COVERS IGNITED, FIRE BURNED THRU THE CABIN FLOOR, & SUBSEQUENTLY, IT SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CABIN. COMPANY MAINT PSNL DID NOT KNOW THAT OXYGEN GENERATORS, CARRIED AS COMPANY SUPPLIES, WERE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. THE MECHANIC WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE REPAIR OR INSTALLATION OF THE PASSENGER SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN EQUIPMENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.