Douglas DC-10 accident near Baltimore, Maryland, January 2, 1990
On January 2, 1990 at about 5:07 am local time, a Douglas DC-10, registered N109AA, was involved in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland (Baltimore-Washington airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people were seriously injured and 7 people had minor injuries; 247 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVACUATION OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 1990 · about 5:07 am local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Baltimore-Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 7 people had minor injuries; 247 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-10 · all DC-10s on the register
- Registration
- N109AA · registry record · serial 46509
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SMOKE ENTERED THE FLIGHT DECK AND CABIN DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AND THE FLIGHT DIVERTED TO AND LANDED AT BWI. AFTER THE FLIGHT CAME TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY, THE CAPTAIN ORDERED THE EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF THE AIRCRAFT. ALL THE EMERGENCY EXITS WERE USED, EXCEPT THE OVERWING EXITS. WHEN THE OVERWING EXITS WERE DEPLOYED, THEY BLEW OVER THE REAR INSTEAD OF OVER THE FRONT OF THE WING AND WERE DEEMED UNUSABLE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE NO. 1 AIR CONDITIONING MODULE OVERHEATED AND OIL RESIDUE ON IT WAS THE SMOKE SOURCE.
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: 1,506 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 413,000 lb
- Seats: 303
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ge CF6-6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas TX at 2:08 am
- Destination: LGA New York NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 9,452 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from BWI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 10 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 7 | 237 |
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 N109AA 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.