McDonnell Douglas MD-11 N811DE

Summary

On 9 November 1998 at about 02:00 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 registered N811DE, operated by Delta Air Lines Inc., was involved in an incident near Atlanta, Georgia, United States. 4 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

9 November 1998 at 02:00

Classification

Incident

Location

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Hartsfield Atlanta Int'l (ATL)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas MD-11

Registration

N811DE

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Delta Air Lines Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

Unk

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

ATL99IA015

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the Company's maintenance personnel to follow the aircraft's maintenance manual which resulted in a cargo bin fire. Contributing to the severity of the incident was the failure of the mechanic to safety the circuit breaker, and the cut/severed electrical wiring.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the trip check, airport customer service personnel informed a mechanic that one of the center cargo bay longitudinal spring-lift power drive unit (PDU) powered rollers was inoperative and in the 'up' position. A mechanic, removed the powered rollers from the cargo compartment and did not have the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Maintenance Manual in his possession at the time. The mechanic, did not open the circuit breaker for the cargo control unit (CCU) that controls the operation of the powered rollers, nor did he tag the system out of service as stipulated in the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Maintenance Manual. While the mechanic was away from the airplane obtaining a new powered roller, the airport customer service had a crew change. The new crew, unaware that the powered roller cannon plug had been left on the floor of the cargo compartment, began loading cargo bins. The cannon plug was run over and its connecting wires cut by the cargo bins. A Delta technician started the airplane's auxiliary power unit (APU) to provide electrical power to the airplane. Other Delta technicians who were servicing the cabin observed smoke and 4 to 6 inch flames behind a floor vent of the main passenger cabin at row 12. The fire was subsequently extinguished.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.