Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 incident near Los Angeles, California, August 2, 1992
On August 2, 1992 at about 9:34 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11, registered N803DE, suffered minor damage in an incident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 149 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S IMPROPER USE OF THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CONTROLS (ELEVATOR) DURING THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT TAIL CONTACTING THE RUNWAY SURFACE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1992 · about 9:34 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 149 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 · all MD-11s on the register
- Registration
- N803DE · no longer on the register · serial 48474
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT CREW WAS PERFORMING A NORMAL LANDING (MANUAL THROTTLES/AUTO GROUND SPOILER). THEY REPORTED THAT AFTER THE MAIN GEAR HAD TOUCHED DOWN, THE NOSE PITCHED UP 'VIOLENTLY'. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT TAIL SCRAPED THE RUNWAY SURFACE. DFDR DATA INDICATED THAT AFTER MAIN GEAR TOUCHDOWN, THE NOSE WAS LOWERED AT AN EXCESSIVE RATE, FOLLOWED BY LARGE, AFT YOKE INPUT TO ARREST THE RATE OF NOSE SINK. THE NOSE GEAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY WHILE THE AFT YOKE INPUT WAS MAINTAINED, AND THE GROUND SPOILERS EXTENDED TO 60 DEGREES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT WITH THIS SCENARIO, A PITCH UP OF THE NOSE WOULD OCCUR.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,500 hours in all; 285 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 618,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80C2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
The flight
- Departed from: PDX Portland OR at 5:20 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 12,091 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from LAX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 13 | |||
| Passengers | 136 |
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 N803DE 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.