Mcdonnell-Douglas DC-10-10 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 3, 1982
On February 3, 1982 at about 4:02 pm local time, a Mcdonnell-Douglas DC-10-10, registered N1814U, suffered minor damage in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 154 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 3, 1982 · about 4:02 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 154 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell-Douglas DC-10-10
- Registration
- N1814U · no longer on the register · serial 46613
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCREWS OF A UNITED DC-10 (FLT 99 HEAVY) AND TWO U.S. AIR DC-9'S (FLT 25 AND FLT 199) TAXIED FOR TAKEOFF AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. DUE TO DELAYS, THE NO. 2 ENGINE OF FLT 199 WAS SHUT DOWN IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE FUEL CONSERVATION PROCEDURES. AFTER FLT 99 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF, THE AIRCREW OF FLT 199 STARTED THEIR ENGINE, BUT IT TORCHED AND EMITTED FLAMES FROM THE TAIL CONE. THE CAPTAIN OF FLT 25 SAW THE FLAMES AND TRANSMITTED ON TOWER FREQUENCY, "99, YOU'RE RIGHT ENGINE'S ON FIRE." AT ABOUT THAT TIME, UNITED FLT 99 HEAVY WAS LIFTING OFF. THINKING HE HAD AN ENGINE FIRE, THE CAPTAIN OF UNITED FLT 99 HEAVY ABORTED ABOVE V1/VR RATHER THAN CONTINUING INTO A LOW CEILING WITH FOG AND RAIN. THE CAPTAIN THOUGHT HE COULD STOP ON THE HARD SURFACE, BUT WAS UNABLE. THE PLANE CAME TO REST ON MUDDY TERRAIN. ONE PASSENGER WAS INJURED DURING EVACUATION. DURING THIS SEQUENCE, THE TOWER CONTROLLER WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE RUNWAY DUETO THE LOW VISIBILITY (3/8 MI).
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 162 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,938 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 717 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 410,000 lb
- Seats: 254
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-6D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA at 11:02 am
- Destination: LAX Los Angles CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9L, 9,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from PHL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 11 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 143 |
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.