Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 incident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 2, 1989
On May 2, 1989 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registered N434AA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis St Paul Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 96 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE HYDRAULIC POWER TRANSFER UNIT SHUT-OFF (PTU S/O) VALVE DUE TO FAILED (FATIGUED) VALVE BODY ATTACH SCREWS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1989 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Minneapolis St Paul Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 96 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
- N434AA · registry record · serial 49452
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
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
- Flight time: 7,450 hours in all; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 140,000 lb
- Seats: 172
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEA Seattle WA at 4:40 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29L, 10,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from MSP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 90 |
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.