McDonnell Douglas MD88 N924DL

Summary

On 11 December 2008 at about 22:12 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD88 registered N924DL, operated by Delta Air Lines Inc, was involved in an incident near Greer, South Carolina, United States. 153 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

11 December 2008 at 22:12

Classification

Incident

Location

Greer, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Greenville Spartanburg (GSP)

Coordinates

34.8956, -82.2200

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas MD88

Registration

N924DL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Delta Air Lines Inc

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Herndon → Atlanta

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DCA09IA018

Nobody was injured.

The overheating and arcing of the DC Ground Service Relay and Block Diodes component for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While cruising at 30,000 feet, the captain and first officer initially smelled smoke in the cockpit, prompting them to initiate an unscheduled, precautionary landing at an airport along their route. While descending, the crew noticed that smoke was “pouring out” from underneath the first officer’s glare shield and instrument panel. No fire or flames were present. The captain declared an emergency and proceeded to depressurize the aircraft while descending through 10,000 feet in order to clear the smoke from the cockpit. Four tires on the left main gear burst on touchdown, and the aircraft came to rest on the runway. Ground personnel notified the crew that the right main brake system was on fire, and the crew and passengers made an emergency evacuation from the left side of the aircraft. The DC Ground Service Tie Relay (R2-51) and Blocking Diode Assemblies (R7-50 and R7-51), located in the forward accessory compartment of the airplane, exhibited signs of overheating and smoke damage. A detailed examination of the components revealed internal damage consistent with arcing of the electrical contacts. However, due to the extent of the damage, the cause of the arcing could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.