Douglas DC-9-31 incident near Louisville, Kentucky, January 31, 1990
On January 31, 1990 at about 7:31 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9-31, registered N8978E, suffered minor damage in an incident near Louisville, Kentucky (Standiford Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people had minor injuries; 71 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE DISABLING OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TORQUE LINK WHICH ALLOWED THE TRUCK TO ROTATE FREELY. THE TORQUE LINK WAS DISABLED WHEN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION WAS GENERATED BY EXCESSIVE PLAY OF THE TORQUE LINK PINS IN THEIR BUSHINGS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 1990 · about 7:31 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Standiford Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 71 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9-31 · all DC-9-31s on the register
- Registration
- N8978E · no longer on the register · serial 47327
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING THE FLIGHT CREW NOTED A VIBRATION. LEFT MAIN GEAR TORQUE LINK APEX BOLT WAS FOUND TO HAVE VIBRATED OUT OF THE TORQUE LINK WHICH ALLOWED MAIN GEAR TRUCK TO ROTATE 360 DEGREES DURING LANDING ROLL. THE NUT HAD STRIPPED OFF OF THE BOLT. LABORATORY EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE TORQUE LINK ATTACHING PINS HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY. NEW & OLD APEX BOLTS WERE MEASURED. THEY FAILED TO PASS THE MOST STRINGENT QUALITY CONTROL CHECK FOR CORRECT THREAD SIZE. THE SAFETY BOARD BELIEVES THAT THE NUT STRIPPED OFF WHEN THE LOOSE TORQUE LINKS ALLOWED EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE UNDERSIZE APEX BOLT THREADS ALLOWED THE NUT TO SHEAR AWAY THE BOLT PIN DESIGNED TO RETAIN THE NUT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 374 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 58,041 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 22, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 108,000 lb
- Seats: 100
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Eastern Air Lines, INC
The flight
- Departed from: MKE Milwaukee WI at 6:18 pm
- Destination: SDF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 7,249 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from SDF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 66 |
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 N8978E 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.