Mcdonnell Douglas Aircraft CO MD 88 accident near New York, New York, March 5, 2015
On March 5, 2015, a 1987 Mcdonnell Douglas Aircraft CO MD 88, registered N909DL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near New York, New York (La Guardia airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 132 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the captain's inability to maintain directional control of the airplane due to his application of excessive reverse thrust, which degraded the effectiveness of the rudder in controlling the airplane's heading. Contributing to the accident were the captain's (1) situational stress resulting from his concerns about stopping performance and (2) attentional limitations due to the high workload during the landing, which prevented him from immediately recognizing the use of excessive reverse thrust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2015
- Place
- New York, New York · La Guardia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 132 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Aircraft CO MD 88 88, built 1987 · all MD 88s on the register
- Registration
- N909DL · no longer on the register · serial 49540
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-16/02. On March 5, 2015, at 1102 eastern standard time, Delta Air Lines flight 1086, a Boeing MD-88, N909DL, was landing on runway 13 at LaGuardia Airport, New York, New York, when it departed the left side of the runway, contacted the airport perimeter fence, and came to rest with the airplane's nose on an embankment next to Flushing Bay. The 2 pilots, 3 flight attendants, and 98 of the 127 passengers were not injured; the other 29 passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. Flight 1086 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. An instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Powerplant parameters › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Capability exceeded
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Perception › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Workload management › Task overload › Pilot
- Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › (general) › Operator
- Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Cabin crew
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Availability of related info
- Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › (general) › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,203 hours in all; 11,687 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: October 19, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,708 hours in all; 2,937 in this make and model; 185 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 11, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 71,195 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 3, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 161,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 (turbofan); 61,336 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 (turbofan); 50,308 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 2:05 pm
- Destination: LGA New York NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 7,003 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from KLGA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 127 |
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.