Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15 incident near Des Moines, Iowa, February 20, 1997
On February 20, 1997 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15, registered N93S, suffered minor damage in an incident near Des Moines, Iowa. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 36 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the cross tie relay shorted resulting in a fire in the left main electrical equipment rack.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1997 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 36 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15 · all DC-9-15s on the register
- Registration
- N93S · registry record · serial 47078
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
There was an electrical fire during cruise flight at FL310. The flight crew extinguished the flames by turning off both generators and the battery switch. The flight diverted to Des Moines, Iowa, where it landed without further incident. Inspection of the airplane revealed the cross tie relay along with four other relays and their associated wiring in the left main equipment rack near the left forward cabin door were charred. Investigation revealed the fire was a result of a phase-to-phase short in the cross tie relay arc box. The short resulted from relay contact wear products (metal dust) migrating through the arc box. The relay manufacturer recommended a 7,000 hour time between overhaul (TBO) for this relay when it is used as a cross tie relay. The aircraft manufacturer recommended a 7,000 hour TBO regardless of how the relay is used. The operator used a 14,000 hour TBO, based on an FAA approved TBO reliability program for the relay installed in a vertical or horizontal orientation. The failed relay had a total of 7,775.26 hours since overhaul.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,749 hours in all; 1,760 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,454 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 90,700 lb
- Seats: 83
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSP Minneapolis MN at 11:00 am
- Destination: MCI Kansas City MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from DSM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 32 |
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 CHI97IA072.