Douglas DC-8-63 incident near Toledo, Ohio, September 15, 1993
On September 15, 1993 at about 6:08 am local time, a Douglas DC-8-63, registered N870BX, suffered minor damage in an incident near Toledo, Ohio. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL'S FAILURE TO PERFORM AN ADEQUATE INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE, WHICH LED TO A WORN AILERON CABLE WHICH SEPARATED IN FLIGHT AND CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 1993 · about 6:08 am local time
- Place
- Toledo, Ohio
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-8-63 · all DC-8-63s on the register
- Registration
- N870BX · no longer on the register · serial 46036
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE NIGHT INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM APPROACH, THE FIRST OFFICER WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE ALIGNED WITH THE LOCALIZER. THE CAPTAIN TOOK THE CONTROLS AND WAS FORCED TO UTILIZE FULL RIGHT AILERON AND FULL RIGHT AILERON TRIM TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE LEVEL. A MISSED APPROACH WAS EXECUTED AND AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED. THE CREW PERFORMED ANOTHER APPROACH WITH 'SEVERE AILERON PROBLEMS' BUT LANDED SAFELY. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED A SEPARATED AILERON CABLE. METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE CABLE WAS SEVERELY WORN, WHICH CAUSED THE SEPARATION. THE AIRPLANE UNDERWENT A 'C' CHECK INSPECTION ABOUT 2,582 HOURS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. NO RECORDS WERE FOUND TO INDICATE THE AILERON CABLES WERE ADEQUATELY INSPECTED OR REPLACED.
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 instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,700 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 15,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51,495 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 8, 1993; 2,582 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 355,000 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3D-7 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: American International
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 3:35 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 am from TOL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.