Douglas DC-9-32 incident near Saint Louis, Missouri, December 19, 1995
On December 19, 1995 at about 3:11 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9-32, registered N925L, was involved in an incident near Saint Louis, Missouri (Lambert International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 54 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of induction air into the engine inlets resulting in simultaneous loss of power on both engines. Factors relating to this incident were: disconnection of the airplane's hydraulic pumps and generators, slush on the runway and the hydroplaning condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 1995 · about 3:11 pm local time
- Place
- Saint Louis, Missouri · Lambert International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 54 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9-32 · all DC-9-32s on the register
- Registration
- N925L · registry record · serial 47357
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain reported that on landing, after he lowered the nosewheel and applied reverse thrust, that 'something didn't sound right. It was quieter than normal.' As the airplane slowed to taxi speed, the nose started turning right. The captain put in steering controls, but the airplane continued to turn, and began to slide. The airplane stopped near the edge of the runway, 70 degrees off runway heading. The captain then realized the engines were not operating. A witness observed the airplane being 'engulfed in a cloud of snow,' as it landed. 'It sounded like it lost intake air, then became silent.' The reported weather was a 600 foot ceiling, visibility 3/8 of a mile in snow and fog, and surface winds of 360 degrees at 16 knots gusting to 27 knots. The tower reported 1/4 inch of snow on the runway and braking action as fair to poor. A witness reported slush accumulations on the runway greater than 1/4 inch. The engine manufacturer stated the potential for engine flameout exists if 1/4 inch of slush or more is ingested when the engines are at low power, as in 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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF ENGINE POWER(TOTAL) - NONMECHANICAL during landing - roll
- LOSS OF CONTROL - ON GROUND/WATER during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 16,290 hours in all; 2,408 in this make and model; 189 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 4,327 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 1
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,289 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 14, 1995; 1,494 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 109,000 lb
- Seats: 85
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT-8D-9A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans World Airlines, INC.
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: BDL Hartford CT at 12:00 pm
- Destination: STL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30L, 11,019 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 16 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 0.4 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 32°C, dew point 30°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 3:19 pm from STL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 49 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CHI96IA059.