Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-87 accident near Detroit, Michigan, March 14, 1997
On March 14, 1997 at about 11:47 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-87, registered N753RA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Detroit, Michigan (Metro-Wayne County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 111 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
the captains failure to have the airplane deiced prior to takeoff which resulted in ice ingestion into both engines. Factors associated with the accident were the icing weather conditions, wing ice, an inadequate detection of the ice during the preflight, and the dark lighting conditions when the first officer was performing the preflight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1997 · about 11:47 am local time
- Place
- Detroit, Michigan · Metro-Wayne County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 111 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-87 · all DC-9-87s on the register
- Registration
- N753RA · registry record · serial 49587
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a partial loss of power on both engines during takeoff. The flight returned and landed without further incident. Post accident examination of the engines revealed the compressor fan blades on both engines had sustained soft body impact damage. The airplane had been subjected to sub-zero temperatures during the previous flight and had landed with the wing tanks almost full. The airplane was on the ground for about two and a half hours prior to the accident takeoff during which time rain was falling. Both the captain and copilot reported that there were no signs of ice on the wings during their early morning preflight.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 9,700 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 140,000 lb
- Seats: 174
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Reno Air
The flight
- Destination: RNO Reno NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:40 am from DTW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 106 |
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 CHI97FA083.