Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15 incident near Memphis, Tennessee, July 12, 1997
On July 12, 1997 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15, registered N9348, was involved in an incident near Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 75 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the spoiler cable was misrouted by unknown maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1997 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Memphis, Tennessee · Memphis International
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 75 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
- N9348 · no longer on the register · serial 45787
- 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 airplane had undergone scheduled maintenance at a FAA certified Class IV repair station. The maintenance required that the spoiler control cables 17B and 18B be disconnected, and later re-connected. After scheduled maintenance was completed, the airplane was released for service. The airplane flew 52 flights before the first incident. The airplane experienced an uncommanded roll where the right wing dipped 'excessively.' Maintenance action was taken and the airplane was returned to service. Five flights later the airplane experienced another incident where the airplane abruptly rolled right The maintenance found the right inboard spoiler cables extremely loose and re-rigged the cables. The airplane was returned to service. Sixteen flights later the airplane experience another uncommanded right roll incident. The investigation found that the cable run 17B was riding on lower side of pulley for 18B and was running between cable guards at pulley for 18B. It was demonstrated that the 17B cable could be pulled down and positioned into the lower 18B roller slot by pulling down on the cable with a finger and positioning it in the pulley slot. No disassembly of parts or cable guides was required. Research of a maintenance data base revealed no previous occurrences of cable misrouting in this area. The aircraft was returned to service and no further flight control roll problems have been noted after a year of flying.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,531 hours in all; 8,531 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 64,560 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 27, 1996; 5,092 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 90,700 lb
- Seats: 83
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IND Indianapolis IN at 9:35 pm
- Destination: MEM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 9,319 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from MEM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 71 |
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.