Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83) accident near Alexandria, Louisiana, April 20, 2018
On April 20, 2018 at about 8:20 pm local time, a 1993 Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83), registered N807WA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Alexandria, Louisiana (Alexandria International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 101 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 right main landing gear under normal loads due to fatigue cracking in an area subject to an FAA Airworthiness Directive that was not adequately inspected.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2018 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Alexandria, Louisiana · Alexandria International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 101 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83) 83, built 1993 · all DC 9 83(MD-83)s on the register
- Registration
- N807WA · registry record · serial 53093
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane suffered a right main landing gear collapse during landing at the destination airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right lower wing skin when it contacted the runway after the landing gear collapse. The crew stopped the airplane on the runway and an emergency evacuation was performed through three of the four doors on the airplane. The escape slide at the left forward door did not deploy or inflate due to the depletion of the gas charge in the reservoir. The reservoir depleted due to a leak in the valve assembly and was not caught during multiple inspections since installation of the slide assembly in the airplane. The landing gear cylinder fractured under normal landing loads due to the presence of a fatigue crack on the forward side of the cylinder in an area subject to an AD inspection for cracks. The most recent AD inspection of the cylinder was performed 218 landings prior when the fatigue crack was large enough to be detectable. A previous AD inspection performed 497 landings prior to the accident also did not detect the crack that would have been marginally detectable at the time.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Evacuation during after landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,335 hours in all; 6,466 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 10,340 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 14, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,590 hours in all; 2,474 in this make and model; 162 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 270 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 29, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 43,724 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 19, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 161,000 lb
- Seats: 158
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt And Whitney JT8D-219 (turbofan); 47,054 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt And Whitney JT8D-219 (turbofan); 58,922 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc
The flight
- Departed from: KORD Chicago IL at 5:10 pm
- Destination: KAEX Alexandria LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 9,352 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KAEX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 94 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
15 documents, released by the NTSB on July 13, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.