Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-30 incident near Chicago, Illinois, October 27, 1984
On October 27, 1984 at about 6:18 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-30, registered N1852U, suffered minor damage in an incident near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 276 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 1984 · about 6:18 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 276 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-30 · all DC-10-30s on the register
- Registration
- N1852U · no longer on the register · serial 47811
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE FLIGHT CREW HEARD A NOISE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH SOUNDED LIKE AN ENGINE COMPRESSOR STALL. THE #3 ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN & THE CREW MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. PIECES OF COWLING FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE FELL IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, BUT DID NO DAMAGE. TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT TURBINE BLADES ON THE FIRST STAGE LOW PRESSURE TURBINE WHEEL HAD BROKEN OFF & HAD PENETRATED THE ENGINE CASE & CORE COWL DOORS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT 2 STUD BOLTS (SADDLE BOLTS) HAD PULLED OUT FROM STRUT BOSSES 2 & 3 IN THE TURBINE MID FRAME (TMF), WHICH PLACED AN ADDITIONAL LOAD ON STRUT BOSSES 1 & 4. EVENTUALLY, THE 1 & 4 SADDLE BOLTS PULLED LOOSE & ALLOWED THE NOZZLE SUPPORT FLANGE TO SHIFT REARWARD. THIS SHIFT ALLOWED THE NOZZLE SEGMENTS TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE LOW PRESSURE TURBINE & RESULT IN THE FAILURE. THERE WAS INDICATION THAT UNAUTHORIZED REWORK HAD BEEN ACOMPLISHED ON THE SADDLE BOLTS BEFORE OWNER (UNITED AIRLINE) HAD PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE FROM ANOTHER (LAKER) AIRLINE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 565,000 lb
- Seats: 345
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-50C2B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from ORD, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 11 | |||
| Passengers | 265 |
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.