Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 accident near Saint Louis, Missouri, March 12, 1993
On March 12, 1993 at about 5:40 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31, registered N978Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saint Louis, Missouri (Lambert-St. Louis Intl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE CAPTAIN'S IMPROPER USE OF THRUST REVERSERS AND EXCESSIVE USE OF ENGINE POWER. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE CROSSWIND AND THE FIRST OFFICER'S FAILURE TO RAISE THE FLAPS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 1993 · about 5:40 am local time
- Place
- Saint Louis, Missouri · Lambert-St. Louis Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 · all DC-9-31s on the register
- Registration
- N978Z · no longer on the register · serial 47250
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE 1ST OFFICER'S INITIAL TRAINING, THE CAPT ELECTED TO DEMONSTRATE 'A MORE EFFICIENT REVERSING TECHNIQUE' USING A TOUCH-AND-GO. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT THE 4,000-FT MARKER DRAGGING THE LEFT WING AND LOWER LEFT REVERSER BUCKET. IT THEN CONTINUED FOR 2,000 FT BEFORE COMING TO REST. EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT NEITHER THRUST REVERSER WAS STOWED, AND THAT THE FLAPS WERE AT FULL DEPLOYMENT. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS LETTER #4 INDICATES THAT REVERSER BUCKETS WILL NOT STOW WITH EPR ABOVE APPROX 1.2. THE DFDR SHOWED NO INDICATION THAT THE AIRPLANE COMPLETELY LIFTED OFF THE GROUND ONCE THE INITIAL LANDING WAS MADE, AND IT INDICATED A CONSTANT DECAY OF AIRSPEED FROM THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN UNTIL THE AIRPLANE STOPPED. THERE WAS A RIGHT CROSSWIND AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT THE NOSE WHEEL WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY WHEN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST. THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL INDICATES THAT INCREASING AMOUNTS OF REVERSE THRUST SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,255 hours in all; 7,470 in this make and model; 14 in the last 30 days; 3,863 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 59,985 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 19, 1992; 1,765 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 108,000 lb
- Seats: 106
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans World Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: STL at 4:25 am
- Destination: STL
- Runway 30R, 9,003 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 am from STL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N978Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.