Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 22, 2002
On September 22, 2002 at about 11:52 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32, registered N941N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold- airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 85 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure of the main landing gear strut due to inclusions in the material, residual stresses, and dissolved hydrogen content.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 2002 · about 11:52 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold- · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 85 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 · all DC-9-32s on the register
- Registration
- N941N · no longer on the register · serial 47450
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was damaged when the right main landing gear failed and collapsed during taxi for takeoff. A dark spot observed on the fracture surface showed a region with intergranular fracture features at the origin of the fracture with other areas of fatigue and intergranular fracture. Outside of the dark spot, the fracture features were consistent with overstress. Examination of the fractured landing gear revealed that small subsurface inclusions were present in the area near the fracture origin. Dissolved hydrogen content testing revealed hydrogen content ranging from 1 to 5 ppm. Residual stress tests show that the cylinder had compressive stress layers at the outer surface consistent with shot peening. The stress profiles showed maximum compressive stresses of 200 to 250 ksi transitioning to residual tensile stresses between 0.01 and 0.02 inch below the surface.
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; single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,221 hours in all; 2,025 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 11, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,122 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 11, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 62,452 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 10, 2002; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 109,800 lb
- Seats: 85
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSP Minneapolis MN at 11:52 pm
- Destination: CLT Charlotte NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KMSP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 81 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI02FA289.