McDonnell Douglas MD-11 N90187
17 September 1992 · Yuma, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 September 1992 at about 05:20 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 registered N90187, operated by McDonnel Douglass Corp, was involved in an incident near Yuma, Arizona, United States. 8 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 05:20
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Yuma, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- Yuma Intl (YUM)
- Coordinates
- 32.7197, -114.5094
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas MD-11
- Registration
- N90187
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 3
- Operator
- McDonnel Douglass Corp
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Bright
- NTSB number
- LAX92IA390
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Probable cause
AN UNSTABLE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CENTER BODY MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS INSTRUMENTED A FLIGHT TEST MD11 TO EXPLORE TWO PREVIOUS IN SERVICE INCIDENTS OF CENTER MAIN BODY LANDING GEAR DRAG LINK FAILURES. THE TEST PROTOCOL WAS DESIGNED TO REPLICATE THE KNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TWO IN SERVICE FAILURES. DURING THE LANDING ON THE TEST FLIGHT, A FAILURE OF THE DRAG LINK WAS INDUCED, WHICH ALLOWED THE CENTER MAIN BODY GEAR TO FOLD AFT DAMAGING THE WHEEL WELL AND ADJACENT SKIN PANELS. EXAMINATION OF THE INSTRUMENTATION DATA REVEALED THAT THE DRAG LINK FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF A DYNAMIC INSTABILITY OF THE CENTER BODY GEAR DUE TO AN UNFAVORABLE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CENTER BODY LANDING GEAR AND THE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM (INCLUDING THE ANTI SKID AND AUTO BRAKE SUB SYSTEMS). AS A CORRECTIVE ACTION, THE MANUFACTURER DEVELOPED A MODIFICATION TO THE ANTI SKID CONTROL UNIT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas MD-11 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug 1992 | McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Delta Air Lines | No injuries | - |
| 1 May 1993 | McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | Los Angeles, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1993 | McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | Shemya, Alaska, United States | China Eastern Airlines | Fatal | 2 |
| 4 Nov 1994 | McDonnell Douglas MD-11/F | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 1994 | McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | Dfw Airport, Texas, United States | U. S. Africa Airways | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1994 | McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | Caribbean | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar 1992 | Helio HST-550A | Salome, Arizona, United States | Maytag, David D. JR. | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Nov 1992 | Cessna 404 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | U. S. Customs Service | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 1992 | Boeing 757-222 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | United Airlines | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 1992 | Cessna 170B | Prescott, Arizona, United States | Darrah, LEE | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 1992 | Cessna 150M | Three Points, Arizona, United States | Genzman, Dennis W. | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 1992 | Beechcraft F33A | Payson, Arizona, United States | Steering Committee Corp. | Fatal | 2 |