Douglas DC-9-14 accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September 6, 1985
On September 6, 1985 at about 8:21 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9-14, registered N100ME, was destroyed in an accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin (General Mitchell Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 31 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- September 6, 1985 · about 8:21 pm local time
- Place
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin · General Mitchell Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 31 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9-14 · all DC-9-14s on the register
- Registration
- N100ME · no longer on the register · serial 47309
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Safety Board's full report on this investigation is provided as Aviation Accident Report number AAR-87/01. To obtain a copy of this report, or to view the executive summary online, please see the Web site at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm DRG TAKEOFF, THE ACFT (MIDWEST EXPRESS FLT 105) WAS CLIMBING THRU ABOUT 450' AGL WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AS THE RGT ENG FAILED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP DSCNT & CRASHED IN AN APRX 90 DEG, RGT WING LOW, ATTITUDE. AN INV REVEALED THAT THE 9TH TO 10TH STAGE, HI PRESSURE COMPRESSOR SPACER IN THE RGT ENG HAD FAILED. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THEFAILURE WAS PRECIPITATED BY A FATIGUE CRACK IN 1 OF THE 2 KNIFE EDGES ON THE SPACER. INITIALLY, CORRECT (LEFT) RUDDER RESPONSE WAS USED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF POWER IN THE RGT ENG, BUT ABOUT 4 TO 5 SEC LATER, RGT RUDDER DEFLECTION OCCURRED. APRX 10 SEC AFTER THE RGT ENG FAILED, THE ACFT STALLED & WENT OUT OF CONTROL. ALSO, ABOUT 1.5 SEC AFTER THE INITIAL RGT ENG FAILURE, THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN THE LEFT ENG'S RPM, & SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENG COMPRESSOR STALLED AFTER THE ACFT WENT OUT OF CONTROL & WAS DSCNDG IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. HOWEVER, THE REDUCTION OF POWER IN THE LEFT ENG WAS NOT CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL. NEITHER PLT VERBALLY IDENTIFIED THE EMERG CONDITION DRG THE SEQUENCE.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,085 hours in all; 1,085 in this make and model; 212 in the last 90 days; 77 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31,892 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 4, 1985; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 91,500 lb
- Seats: 116
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MKE at 8:21 pm
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19R, 9,690 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:40 pm from MKE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 27 |
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.