Boeing 717-200 accident near Mascoutah, Illinois, August 10, 2001
On August 10, 2001 at about 1:25 am local time, a Boeing 717-200, registered N2417F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mascoutah, Illinois (Scott Afb airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 76 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The malfunction of the nose gear extension system, which resulted from a previous ground collision with a wheel chock. A factor was the wheel chock.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2001 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Mascoutah, Illinois · Scott Afb · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 76 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 717-200 · all 717-200s on the register
- Registration
- N2417F · no longer on the register · serial 55084
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage on contact with the runway during an emergency nose gear up landing. Evacuation of the airplane was conducted via the emergency slides. The captain stated, "Repeated radio requests to obtain stairs to deplane were denied due to unavailability. ... Received confirmation that the aircraft was all clear below for engine start and taxi. ... After beginning taxi roll a slight bump was felt that was compatible with a rough ramp area." A passenger stated, "At this point with engines running it seemed that it took a great deal of thrust to get the aircraft moving. I heard the hydraulics when breaks were released, but thought it unusual to use such thrust to get moving on a level ramp without a jet-way. The aircraft was simply pulling straight ahead. There were then two sharp jolts." One of the ground personnel stated, "There was no ground crew free at the time to flag out FLT 519 as I was busy and the other two agents were getting FLT 7637 boarded and it departed at 635P. After flagging out FLT 533 I went over to where FLT 519 had been sitting and discovered the chocks lying on the ramp." NTSB Materials Laboratory report 01-102 on the debris found at Springfield, the spray deflector assembly, and the left hand support assembly stated, "No other piece fractured from the center portion of the deflector assembly. ... Bench binocular microscope examination of the four fractured pieces revealed features typical of overstress separation in a casting. No evidence of a preexisting crack was found on the fractures." Subsequent to the accident, a Boeing Flight Operations Bulletin, dated September 20, 2001, stated, "The purpose of this revision is to clarify and broaden the scope of this operations bulletin, to include possible damage to the NLG SPRAY DEFLECTOR caused by taxiing over a chock, striking a taxiway light or other obstruction, dropping the nosewheel into a pothole, etc. The consequences of such operation may result in damage to the NLG SPRAY DEFLECTOR that may prevent subsequent retraction or extension of the nose gear."
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: 12,845 hours in all; 318 in this make and model; 6,941 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 29, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,468 hours in all; 653 in this make and model; 1,490 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 8, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 845 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 6, 2001; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 118,000 lb
- Seats: 107
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce BR715-A1-30 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce BR715-A1-30 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans World Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SPI Springfield IL at 11:20 pm
- Destination: STL St Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14L, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 71 |
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.