Douglas DC-9 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, November 29, 2000
On November 29, 2000 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9, registered N826AT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia (The William B Hartsfield Atlan). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 13 people had minor injuries; 84 others were unhurt.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the leakage of lavatory fluid from the airplane's forward lavatory onto electrical connectors, which caused shorting that led to a fire. Contributing to the accident were the inadequate servicing of the lavatory and the failure of maintenance to ensure reinstallation of the shield over the fuselage station 237 disconnect panel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2000 · about 6:50 pm local time · cases in 2000
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · The William B Hartsfield Atlan · cases near this airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 13 people had minor injuries; 84 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9 · all DC-9s on the register
- Registration
- N826AT · registry record · serial 47359
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane experienced electrical problems, including numerous tripped circuit breakers. The flight crew requested a return to airport. During the landing rollout, the lead flight attendant and air traffic control personnel reported to the flight crew that smoke was coming from the left side of the airplane; subsequently, the flight crew initiated an emergency evacuation on one of the taxiways. Examination of the airplane revealed fire damage to the left, forward areas of the fuselage, cabin, and forward cargo compartment. The greatest amount of fire damage was found just aft of the electrical disconnect panel located at fuselage station 237. There was no evidence that the drip shield normally installed over the disconnect panel was present at the time of the accident. Bluish stains caused by lavatory rinse fluid were observed on surfaces near the disconnect panel on the accident airplane and in the same areas on another of AirTran's DC-9 airplanes. Examination of one of the connectors from the disconnect panel on the accident airplane revealed light-blue and turquoise-green deposits on its internal surfaces and evidence of shorting between the connector pins. It could not be determined when the drip shield over the disconnect panel was removed; however, this likely contributed to the lavatory fluid contamination of the connectors. Following the accident, AirTran revised its lavatory servicing procedures to emphasize the importance of completely draining the waste tank to avoid overflows. Boeing issued an alert service bulletin recommending that operators of DC-9 airplanes visually inspect the connectors at the FS 237 disconnect panel for evidence of lavatory rinse fluid contamination and that they install a drip shield over the disconnect panel. Boeing also issued a service letter to operators to stress the importance of properly sealing floor panels and adhering to lavatory servicing procedures specified in its DC-9 Maintenance Manual. The Safety Board is aware of two incidents involving the military equivalent of the DC-9 that involved circumstances similar to the accident involving N826AT. Drip shields were installed above the FS 237 disconnect panels on both airplanes.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 78,255 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 29, 2000
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
- Operator: Airtran Airways INC
The flight
- Destination: Akron/Canton OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26R
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KATL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 13 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N826AT on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Douglas DC-9 7 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Douglas 305 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D 82 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,804 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DCA01MA005.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.