Boeing 727-232 accident near Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas, August 31, 1988
On August 31, 1988 at about 2:01 pm local time, a Boeing 727-232, registered N473DA, was destroyed in an accident near Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas (Dallas/Ft. Worth Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 14 people were killed, 26 people were seriously injured and 50 people had minor injuries; 18 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
(1) THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER'S INADEQUATE COCKPIT DISCIPLINE WHICH RESULTED IN THE FLIGHTCREW'S ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF WITHOUT THE WING FLAPS AND SLATS PROPERLY CONFIGURED; AND (2) THE FAILURE OF THE TAKEOFF CONFIGURATION WARNING SYSTEM TO ALERT THE CREW THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT PROPERLY CONFIGURED FOR THE TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS DELTA'S SLOW IMPLEMENTATION OF NECESSARY MODIFICATIONS TO ITS OPERATING PROCEDURES, MANUAL'S, CHECKLISTS, TRAINING, AND CREW CHECKING PROGRAMS WHICH WERE NECESSITATED BY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE AIRLINE FOLLOWING RAPID GROWTH AND MERGER. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF SUFFICIENTLY AGGRESSIVE ACTION BY THE FAA TO HAVE KNOWN DEFICIENCIES CORRECTED BY DELTA AND THE LACK OF SUFFICIENT ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN THE FAA'S AIR CARRIER INSPECTION PROCESS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1988 · about 2:01 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas · Dallas/Ft. Worth Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 14 people were killed, 26 people were seriously injured and 50 people had minor injuries; 18 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-232 · all 727-232s on the register
- Registration
- N473DA · registry record · serial 20705
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHTCREW REPORTED THAT THE TAKEOFF ROLL APPEARED TO BE NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS, WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS, AUDIBLE WARNINGS, OR UNUSUAL ENGINE INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT THE ROTATION WAS INITIALLY NORMAL, BUT AS THE MAIN GEAR WHEELS LEFT THE GROUND HE HEARD 'TWO EXPLOSIONS.' HE SAID IT FELT AS THOUGH THE AIRPLANE WAS EXPERIENCING 'REVERSE THRUST.' THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO 'ROLL VIOLENTLY.' THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS) LOCALIZER ANTENNA ARRAY APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET BEYOND THE END OF RUNWAY 18L, AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 3,200 FEET BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE WING FLAPS AND SLATS WERE NOT PROPERLY CONFIGURED PRIOR TO THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF. (FOR FURTHER INFORMATION - SEE NTSB/AAR-89/04.)
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 43,023 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 11, 1988; 166 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 184,200 lb
- Seats: 156
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-15 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18L, 11,387 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 4 | 1 | |
| Passengers | 12 | 22 | 49 | 18 |
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.