Mcdonnell Douglas MD82 incident near Washington, District of Columbia, April 11, 1998
On April 11, 1998 at about 11:45 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD82, registered N951U, was involved in an incident near Washington, District of Columbia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 84 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the Dual Axis Accelerometer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 1998 · about 11:45 am local time
- Place
- Washington, District of Columbia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 84 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD82
- Registration
- N951U · no longer on the register · serial 49245
- 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 Douglas MD82 experienced a flight control malfunction after takeoff and diverted to Dulles International Airport. The crew reported that they lost the autopilot, there were in-flight kicks on the rudder and the rudder tab was moving uncommanded on the ground. The Yaw Damper Actuator, Digital Flight Guidance Computer, and Dual Axis Accelerometer were removed for further testing. The Yaw Damper Actuator and the Digital Flight Guidance Computer passed testing. The Dual Axis Accelerometer was bench tested using test manual #22-19-01, Rev 1 at the avionics test center. The unit failed an original test and failed a second test after a metal sliver imbedded in the pins was removed.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans World Airlines
The flight
- Destination: STL Saint Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 79 |
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.