Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 incident near Atlanta, Georgia, November 20, 1991
On November 20, 1991 at about 3:32 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88, registered N908DL, was involved in an incident near Atlanta, Georgia (William B. Hartsfield). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 29 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A SHORT IN AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WHICH RESULTED IN ITS FAILURE. THE REASON FOR THE SHORT WAS NOT DETERMINED. A FACTOR WAS THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE CONNECTOR BY AN UNKNOWN MAINTENANCE PERSON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 1991 · about 3:32 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · William B. Hartsfield
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 29 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88
- Registration
- N908DL · no longer on the register · serial 49539
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF A PASSENGER IN ROW 18 REPORTED OBSERVING FLAMES COMING FROM THE OVERHEAD AREA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SUPPRESSED THE REPORTED AREA WITH A HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE FLIGHT DECK. HOWEVER, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT DID NOT REPORT SEEING FLAMES. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE OVERHEAD AREA AROUND ROW 18 REVEALED THAT THE CANNON PLUG CONNECTOR ADJACENT TO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD SHORTED. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATIONS OF THE CONNECTOR REVEALED THAT PINS IN THE MATING HALVES OF THE CONNECTOR WERE DAMAGED, AND APPEARED TO HAVE OCCURED WHEN A PREVIOUS CONNECTION WAS ATTEMPTED. RESEARCH EFFORTS TO DUPLICATE THE CONNECTOR FAILURE MODE FAILED. A REVIEW OF THE OPERATORS MAINTENANCE RECORDS FAILED TO DISCLOSE IF ANY MAINTANANCE HAD BEEN CONDUCTED IN THE AREA OF THE CONNECTOR. HOWEVER, THE OPERATOR COULD NOT VERIFY THAT THE CONNECTOR AND AFFECTED AREAS WERE NEVER SERVICED DURING A PREVIOUS STOPOVER
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: 6,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,637 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 20, 1991; 750 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 149,500 lb
- Seats: 147
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 3:28 pm
- Destination: MGM Montgomery AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from ATL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 23 |
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.