Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83 incident near Nashville, Tennessee, February 3, 1988
On February 3, 1988 at about 10:14 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83, registered N569AA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Nashville, Tennessee (Nashville Metro airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 13 people had minor injuries; 113 others were unhurt. 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 incident. 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, 1988 · about 10:14 pm local time
- Place
- Nashville, Tennessee · Nashville Metro · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 13 people had minor injuries; 113 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83 · all DC-9-83s on the register
- Registration
- N569AA · no longer on the register · serial 49351
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AMERICAN FLT 132 WAS LOADED WITH UNDECLARED & IMPROPERLY MARKED HAZ MTRL (HM) PACKED IN A FIBER DRUM. IT CONTAINED 5 GALOF 50% HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTION (OXIDIZER) & 25 LBS OF TEXTREAT S-W (CORROSIVE AGENT; SODIUM ORTHOSILICATE-BASED MIX),SHIPPED BY TEXTILE TREATMENTS INTL. THE DRUM WAS LOADED ON ITS SIDE IN THE MIDCARGO (CLASS-D) COMPRT. HM LEAKED DRG FLT,CAUSING HEAT. JUST BFR LNDG, SMOKE ENTERED PAX CABIN. THE CAPT (AWARE OF RPRTD APU FUMES ON A PREV FLT) WAS SKEPTICAL OF RPRTD SMOKE. AFTER LNDG, HE NOTIFIED ATC OF PSBL CARGO COMPRT FIRE & REQUESTED CFR. ACFT WAS EVACUATED ON TWY; 4 F/A,9 PAX, 2 CFR & 3 GND PSNL SUFFERED SMOKE INHALATION, EYE IRRITATION OR MINOR INJURY. INV REVEALED SHIPPER LACKED KNOW- LEDGE ABT RESTRNS & RQRMENTS OF SHIPPING HM; PROC INADQT FOR DETECTING UNDECLARED HM SHIPMENTS. LACK OF HEAT/SMOKE DE- TECTION EQUIP & INSUFFICIENT FLT CREW COMM RESULTED IN DELAY OF DETECTING IN-FLT FIRE & DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY. INADQTDESIGN OF CARGO COMPART & ITS LACK OF FIRE EXT RDCD THE ABILITY TO STOP OR PREVENT SPREAD OF FIRE. (SEE: NTSB/HZM-88/02)
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,700 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 177 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,001 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 2, 1988; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 160,000 lb
- Seats: 172
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas/Ft Worth TX
- Destination: BNA Nashville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 2L, 7,702 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from BNA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | 2 | ||
| Passengers | 9 | 111 |
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.