Airbus Industrie A-310-200 incident near Covington, Kentucky, December 18, 1991
On December 18, 1991 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Airbus Industrie A-310-200, registered N803PA, was involved in an incident near Covington, Kentucky (Greater Cincinnati airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 102 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE THRUST REVERSER STOW SWITCH ASSEMBLY BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHICH RESULTED IN THE ERRONEOUS ILLUMINATION OF THE THRUST REVERSER WARNING LIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 1991 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Kentucky · Greater Cincinnati · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 102 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A-310-200 A310-200
- Registration
- N803PA · no longer on the register · serial 343
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RIGHT ENGINE THRUST REVERSER WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE FLIGHT CREW ABORTED THE TAKEOFF, AND AN INSPECTION OF THE THRUST REVERSER REVEALED THAT THE REVERSER HAD NOT ENGAGED. EXAMINATION OF THE THRUST REVERSER STOW SWITCH ASSEMBLY REVEALED THAT THE ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED, ALLOWING THE ACTIVATION OF THE SWITCH AND ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING LIGHT WHEN THE REVERSER WAS IN THE STOWED POSITION.
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: 30,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 315,000 lb
- Seats: 200
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-7R4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Airlines Incorporated
The flight
- Destination: JFK New York NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 9,501 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from CVG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 12 | |||
| Passengers | 90 |
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 N803PA 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.