Boeing 767 accident near Charleston, South Carolina, August 27, 1988
On August 27, 1988, a Boeing 767, registered N120DL, was involved in an accident near Charleston, South Carolina. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries; 55 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1988
- Place
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries; 55 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 · all 767s on the register
- Registration
- N120DL · registry record · serial 767-332
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,697 hours in all; 1,378 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,354 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 17, 1988; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 327,000 lb
- Seats: 264
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-8042 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Airlines INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Ft. Lauderdale FL at 11:00 pm
- Destination: Hartford CT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from CHS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| Passengers | 3 | 50 |
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.