McDonnell Douglas MD-88 N948DL

Summary

On 27 July 1993 at about 20:20 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88 registered N948DL was involved in an incident near Charleston, South Carolina, United States. 105 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.

Date

27 July 1993 at 20:20

Classification

Incident

Location

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Charleston Int'l Airport (CHS)

Coordinates

32.9102, -80.0100

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas MD-88

Registration

N948DL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL93IA135

Nobody was injured.

WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL AND THE SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH THE RUNWAY.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APPROACH. WHEN THE FLIGHT REACHED THE VISUAL DESCENT POINT ON THE APPROACH, THE FLIGHT CREW TRANSITIONED TO THE VASI. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRPLANE WAS STABILIZED ON THE APPROACH. AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE TOUCHDOWN POINT, THE FIRST OFFICER ADVISED THE PILOT OF A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SINK RATE; THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN SOONER THAN EXPECTED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME REVEALED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE BETWEEN FUSELAGE STATIONS 1338 THROUGH 1351. THE DIGITAL FLIGHT DATA RECORDER READOUT FROM THE INCIDENT LANDING REVEALED WHEN COMPARED TO THE THREE PERVIOUS LANDINGS THAT THE NOSEUP STABILATOR TRIM WAS TWICE AS STEEP, TOUCHDOWN AIRSPEED WAS 8 TO 14 KNOTS LOWER, NOSEUP ELEVATOR DEFLECTION WAS TWO TO THREE TIMES LARGER, AND THE MAXIMUM PITCH ATTITUDE AT TOUCHDOWN WAS TWO TO FIVE TIMES HIGHER. ACCORDING TO THE MD-88 TAKEOFF AND LANDING BOOKLET, THE LANDING AIRSPEED FOR THE INCIDENT LANDING SHOULD HAVE BEEN 133 KNOTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.