Lockheed L-1011 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, March 1, 1994
On March 1, 1994 at about 3:05 am local time, a Lockheed L-1011, registered N303EA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 14 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE SIXTH STAGE DISC ON THE INTERMEDIATE COMPRESSOR STAGE 6/7TH ROTOR SHAFT ASSEMBLY IN THE NUMBER THREE ENGINE, DUE TO CORROSION PITTING AND FATIGUE CRACKING OF THE FAILED DISC. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: FAILURE OF THE AIRLINE COMPANY TO FOLLOW PROVISIONS OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN. FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE TO THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE WAS THE RESULT OF THE UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE NUMBER THREE ENGINE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 1994 · about 3:05 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 14 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed L-1011
- Registration
- N303EA · no longer on the register · serial 193A-1004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS FULL POWER WAS APPLIED FOR TAKEOFF, THERE WAS A RUPTURE OF THE 6TH STAGE DISC ON THE INTERMEDIATE COMPRESSOR 6/7TH ROTOR SHAFT ASSEMBLY IN THE #3 ENGINE. PIECES OF DISC SEVERED A FUEL INLET LINE & PENETRATED THE #1 ENGINE & THE FUSELAGE. FIRE WARNINGS FOR THE #3 & #1 ENGINES WERE ACTIVATED & ENGINE FIRE BOTTLES WERE DISCHARGED DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF. RESIDUAL FIRE IN ONE ENGINE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY AIRPORT FIRE FIGHTERS. ABOUT 80% OF THE FAILED DISC WAS FOUND; METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION SHOWED CORROSION PITTING & SMALL FATIGUE CRACKS AT THE ATTACHMENT HOLES. THE LARGEST CRACK WAS 0.13' DEEP & 0.23' WIDE. ACCORDING TO ROLLS ROYCE CALCULATIONS, THIS SIZE CRACK WOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN FAILURE UNLESS THE N2 ROTOR RPM HAD REACHED 118%. A TELLTALE MARKER FOR THE FLIGHT ENGINEER'S #3 N2 GAUGE SHOWED 106% (RED-LINE WAS 102.5%), BUT THE TELLTALE MARKER WAS OUT OF CALIBRATION; THEREFORE, OVERSPEED WAS NOT VERIFIED. MAX EPR FOR TAKEOFF WAS WITHIN LIMITS. SERVICE BULLETIN (SB) RB.211-72-9569 REQUIRED THAT ROTORS EXCEEDING 14,000 CYCLES BE REMOVED BY 4/30/93; THE FAILED ROTOR HAD 16,327 CYCLES. THE SB WAS 'S-MANDATORY' IN THE U.K., BUT IT WAS NOT MANDATORY IN THE U.S.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,614 hours in all; 11,550 in this make and model; 156 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 46,234 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 29, 1994; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 430,000 lb
- Seats: 360
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB-211-22B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Rich International Airways
The flight
- Departed from: FAI at 2:55 pm
- Destination: MIA Miami FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1, 10,300 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: -6°F (-21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 am from FAI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 14 |
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.
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.