Mcdonnell Douglas MD-83 incident near Fairbanks, Alaska, March 7, 2000
On March 7, 2000 at about 10:15 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-83, registered N949AS, was involved in an incident near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 117 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A delayed rotation during takeoff for an undetermined reason.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2000 · about 10:15 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 117 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-83
- Registration
- N949AS · no longer on the register · serial 53022
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The crew of a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 airplane reported a flight control anomaly during takeoff. After an uneventful landing at the flights intended destination, the captain reported to his company maintenance personal that during the takeoff, the airplane's rotation was slightly delayed by about 3 or 4 knots, and required about 30 to 35 pounds of control column back pressure in order to complete the takeoff. He added that once the airplane was established on a standard rate of climb, there were no further anomalies noted. A flight attendant, seated at the forward "A" position, heard a loud "pinging" noise coming from just under her feet, during the takeoff. After landing, it was discovered that an additional 500 pounds of cargo and baggage had inadvertently been loaded into the forward cargo bay. The incident airplane underwent an extensive inspection and evaluation of the flight control system, and no flight control anomalies were discovered by company maintenance personnel. The operator reported that the FDR readout showed that the flight control system operated normally during the entire flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,507 hours in all; 5,544 in this make and model; 6,284 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 31, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 29,812.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 4, 2000; 26.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 161,000 lb
- Seats: 148
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217C (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alaska Air Group
The flight
- Departed from: FAI AK at 6:15 am
- Destination: ANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19R, 5,400 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from FAI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 112 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N949AS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.