Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 accident near Kansas City, Missouri, June 17, 2002
On June 17, 2002 at about 1:30 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registered N140NJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kansas City, Missouri (Kansas City International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 123 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate flare by the flying pilot and the remedial action not performed by the company check airman.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2002 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Kansas City International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 123 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 · all DC-9-82s on the register
- Registration
- N140NJ · no longer on the register · serial 49931
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was discovered with substantial damage to its tailskid and adjacent structure during a postflight maintenance inspection. The flight served as captain initial operating experience for the first officer who was seated in the left seat. The captain and company check airman for the flight was seated in the right seat. A jump seat rider seated in the forward cabin stated that the airplane appeared to level off and start a flare a little high. A correction was then made to reduce the pitch attitude to continue the descent. There appeared to be a high sink rate, an additional pitch change was made resulting in a firm landing.
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
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,550 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 22, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 856 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 27, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,059.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 15, 2002; 21.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 150,500 lb
- Seats: 139
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Vanguard Airlines Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: MCO Orlando FL at 11:05 pm
- Destination: MCI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 01, 10,801 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 118 |
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.