Lockheed L-1011-385-1 N781DL
24 August 1995 · Pacific Ocean · No injuries
Summary
On 24 August 1995 at about 03:13 local time, a Lockheed L-1011-385-1 registered N781DL was involved in an accident near Pacific Ocean. 236 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 03:13
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pacific Ocean
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Lockheed L-1011-385-1
- Registration
- N781DL
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 3
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Los Angeles → Honolulu
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- LAX95FA303
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 236 |
Probable cause
inadequate certification/approval of the airframe structure. Contributing was the lack of required inspections of the failure area.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The aircraft experienced a rapid decompression at 33,000 feet msl. The aircraft made a rapid descent to 14,000 feet where it was able to maintain a 7,000-foot cabin pressure. The aircraft returned to Los Angeles and made an uneventful landing. Postaccident examination revealed that around fuselage station 1800, 20 stringer end fittings were severed, allowing the aft pressure bulkhead to separate from the fuselage crown. Metallurgical analysis revealed that the origional manufacturer had predrilled the stringer end fittings. During assembly not all holes aligned. The unused holes were plugged. The fastener edge distance was below minimums. Fitting eccentricity was also noted as a problem. Combined, they increased stress levels at crack initiation sites. Operator inspections have reported 97 aircraft without cracks and 29 with various cracks of the stringer end fittings.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Lockheed L-1011 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Mar 1995 | Lockheed L-1011-385 | San Juan | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 1996 | Lockheed L-1011-100 | Jamaica, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Mar 1994 | Lockheed L-1011 | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | Rich International Airways | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 1996 | Lockheed L-1011-385-1 | Denver, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 1997 | Lockheed L-1011 | Jamaica, New York, United States | - | Fatal | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Lockheed L-1011-385-1 | Covington, Kentucky, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |