McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 N909DA

Summary

On 30 December 2000 at about 15:08 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 registered N909DA was involved in an incident near Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. 80 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

30 December 2000 at 15:08

Classification

Incident

Location

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Salt Lake City International (SLC)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30

Registration

N909DA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kansas City → Salt Lake City

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN01IA036

Nobody was injured.

the captain's failure to maintain the proper glide path. Contributing factors were the weather conditions that included low visibility and fog.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The captain's first approach briefing was based on an ATIS report, indicating a CAT III ILS approach to runway 16R could be expected. When descent instructions were given, however, the descent profile was for landings to the north and this was confirmed by a revised ATIS information. The captain, who was flying the airplane, briefed the first officer for a second time for a CAT III approach to runway 34R. Improved RVR made a Category I approach feasible, and the decision was made to execute this approach. The captain said he acquired the approach lights 100 feet above minimums, and saw the threshold and runway when the airplane arrived at minimums. He disconnected the autopilot. As he began to flare, the first officer announced that sink rate was increasing. The captain attempted to increase pitch. Touchdown was "firm but not hard and rollout was normal." Upon reaching the gate, the captain notified the control tower that he had "possibly touched down short of the runway." An airport operations vehicle reported observing an MD-90 land "prior to the numbers but had not touched down in the over run." Subsequent inspection revealed debris on runway 34R. The airplane struck the approach lights 400 feet short of the runway. Two threshold lights and one light each from the 100 foot and 200 foot approach light bars were found knocked off. The airplane sustained damage to the left main wheel splash guard, and one tire was cut. A one-inch square piece of metal was lodged in the left engine noise suppression material, and there was some damage to the left engine first stage fan section. At the time of the incident, Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) Sierra was current: WIND, 330 degrees at 5 knots; VISIBILITY, less than 1/4-mile, freezing fog; SKY CONDITION, indefinite ceiling 100 feet; TEMPERATURE, -6 degrees Celsius; DEW POINT, -7 degrees Celsius; ALTIMETER, 30.24 inches of mercury; REMARKS, fog dispersal ongoing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.