Lockheed L-1011 incident near Atlanta, Georgia, December 19, 1988
On December 19, 1988 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Lockheed L-1011, registered UNK, was involved in an incident near Atlanta, Georgia (William B Hartsfield Intl). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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 incident. 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
- December 19, 1988 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · William B Hartsfield Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed L-1011
- Registration
- UNK · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
1ST OFFICER WAS OBSERVED TO BE SICK & WAS REPLACED ON THE FLT PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE ORIGINATING CITY. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE WAS CONFRONTED BY AN INTERVENTION GROUP REGARDING HIS CONDITION AND REQUESTED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THE COMPANY EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PLAN. THE 1ST OFFICER WAS DIAGNOSED AS SUFFERING ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY HE WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR ALCOHOL REHABILITATION TREATMENT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 650,000 lb
- Seats: 325
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT-9D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
The flight
- Destination: BOS Boston MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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 UNK 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.