Plane Crash List

Boeing 737-232 N322DL

7 January 1992 · Dfw Airport, Texas, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 7 January 1992 at about 19:32 local time, a Boeing 737-232 registered N322DL, operated by Delta Air Lines, Inc., was involved in an incident near Dfw Airport, Texas, United States. 49 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 19:32
Classification
Incident
Location
Dfw Airport, Texas, United States
Nearest airport
Dfw Airport (DFW)
Coordinates
Not recorded
Aircraft
Boeing 737-232
Registration
N322DL
Category
Airplane
Engines
2
Operating rule
Part 121: Air Carrier
Purpose of flight
Unknown
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Unknown → Houston
Aircraft damage
Minor
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
FTW92IA055

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
49 0 0 0 49

Probable cause

THE FAILURE OF THE AFT CONE BOLT AS RESULT OF PREEXISTING FATIGUE CRACKING DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, AND THE FAILURE OF THE SECONDARY SUPPORT STRUCTURE AS A RESULT OF LOADS THAT EXCEEDED THE CAPACITY OF THE ATTACHING HARDWARE AND THE CRUSHABLE HONEYCOMB CORE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE RIGHT ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE WING AS THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 200 FEET AFTER TAKEOFF. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE SEPARATION, THE CREW CONTINUED THE CLIMB AND WERE VECTORED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ENGINE SEPARATION WAS THE RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THE AFT CONE BOLT AND THE ENGINE SECONDARY SUPPORT ASSEMBLY. THE AFT CONE BOLT FAILED AS RESULT OF A PREEXISTING FATIGUE CRACK, WHILE THE ENGINE SECONDARY SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FAILED AS RESULT OF THE DYNAMIC LOADS THAT EXCEEDED THE DESIGNED CAPACITY OF THE MOUNTING BOLTS. THE TWO FORWARD CONE BOLTS FAILED IN OVERLOAD AS THE ENGINE SWUNG FORWARD DURING THE SEPARATION SEQUENCE. METALLURGICAL TESTING REVEALED THAT THE FATIGUE OF THE AFT CONE BOLT WAS A RESULT OF LUBRICANT INADVERTENTLY INTRODUCED INTO THE CONICAL SURFACE OF THE CONE BOLT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Boeing 737 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
12 Oct 1992 Boeing 737-300
N586US
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
no coordinates
Usair No injuries -
27 Aug 1992 Boeing 737-200
N206AU
Miami, Florida, United States Carnival Airlines Serious injuries -
8 Dec 1992 Boeing 737-300LR
N516AU
Flushing, New York, United States Usair Fatal -
15 May 1992 Boeing 737-200
N67SW
Palacios, Texas, United States Southwest Airlines Co. Serious injuries -
7 Jun 1992 Boeing 737-204
HP120
Tucuti, Panama
no coordinates
Copa Airlines Unknown -
3 Aug 1992 Boeing 737-300
N357SW
Springfield, Missouri, United States
no coordinates
Southwest Airlines, Inc. Serious injuries -

All 1,317 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
3 Jan 1992 Beechcraft B19
N2226L
Bonham, Texas, United States ARI BEN Aviation No injuries -
4 Jan 1992 Alvin D Campbell KR-2
N651AC
San Marcos, Texas, United States Alvin D. Campbell Fatal 2
14 Jan 1992 Cessna 205A
N8352Z
Spring, Texas, United States Owens, Grady No injuries -
22 Jan 1992 Mooney M20J
N201YR
Austin, Texas, United States
no coordinates
Kissock, Darryl C. Serious injuries -
22 Jan 1992 Piper PA-28-140
N107EH
Denton, Texas, United States Thomas A. Tweeddale No injuries -
5 Sep 1992 Robinson R22
N4073S
Alpine, Texas, United States Helicopters International Fatal 1

All 170,864 records in United States