Mcdonnell Douglas MD88 incident near Greer, South Carolina, December 11, 2008
On December 11, 2008 at about 10:12 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD88, registered N924DL, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Greer, South Carolina (Greenville Spartanburg airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 153 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The overheating and arcing of the DC Ground Service Relay and Block Diodes component for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 2008 · about 10:12 pm local time
- Place
- Greer, South Carolina · Greenville Spartanburg · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 153 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD88 88
- Registration
- N924DL · no longer on the register · serial 49711
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While cruising at 30,000 feet, the captain and first officer initially smelled smoke in the cockpit, prompting them to initiate an unscheduled, precautionary landing at an airport along their route. While descending, the crew noticed that smoke was “pouring out” from underneath the first officer’s glare shield and instrument panel. No fire or flames were present. The captain declared an emergency and proceeded to depressurize the aircraft while descending through 10,000 feet in order to clear the smoke from the cockpit. Four tires on the left main gear burst on touchdown, and the aircraft came to rest on the runway. Ground personnel notified the crew that the right main brake system was on fire, and the crew and passengers made an emergency evacuation from the left side of the aircraft. The DC Ground Service Tie Relay (R2-51) and Blocking Diode Assemblies (R7-50 and R7-51), located in the forward accessory compartment of the airplane, exhibited signs of overheating and smoke damage. A detailed examination of the components revealed internal damage consistent with arcing of the electrical contacts. However, due to the extent of the damage, the cause of the arcing could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › DC power distribution system › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,202 hours in all; 1,049 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 3, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,032 hours in all; 1,294 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 8, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53,506 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 4, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 149,500 lb
- Seats: 149
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney JT8D (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines INC
The flight
- Departed from: IAD Herndon VA at 8:46 pm
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 11,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 11 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:53 pm from GSP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 148 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N924DL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.