Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-33F accident near Saginaw, Texas, March 18, 1989
On March 18, 1989 at about 8:16 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-33F, registered N931F, was destroyed in an accident near Saginaw, Texas (Carswell Afb airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS FOLLOWING THE INFLIGHT OPENING OF THE IMPROPERLY LATCHED CARGO DOOR. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE PROCEDURES USED BY EVERGREEN AIRLINES AND APPROVED BY THE FAA FOR PREFLIGHT VERIFICATION OF CARGO DOOR SECURITY, EVERGREEN'S FAILURE TO MARK PROPERLY THE AIRPLANE'S EXTERNAL CARGO DOOR LOCKPIN MANUAL CONTROL HANDLE, AND THE FAILURE OF MCDONNELL DOUGLAS TO PROVIDE FLIGHTCREW GUIDANCE AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR AN INFLIGHT OPENING OF THE CARGO DOOR. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE FAA TO MANDATE MODIFICATION TO THE DOOR-OPEN WARNING SYSTEM FOR DC-9 CARGO-CONFIGURED AIRPLANES, GIVEN THE PREVIOUS KNOWN OCCURRENCES OF INFLIGHT DOOR OPENINGS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1989 · about 8:16 am local time
- Place
- Saginaw, Texas · Carswell Afb
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-33F · all DC-9-33Fs on the register
- Registration
- N931F · no longer on the register · serial 47192
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE ACFT ROTATED FOR TKOF, THE CARGO DOOR (CD) OPENED. THE CREW CONTD TKOF & TURNED TO A DWNWND LEG TO LND ON RWY 17.THEY ANSWERED TWR INSTRNS TO RPRT 'BASE.' THIS WAS THE LAST TMTN THEY RCVD, THO THEY TRIED SVRL TIMES TO CTC TWR OR APCH CTL. AS THE ACFT TURNED ON BASE LEG (WITH A TAIL WND AT TFC PATTERN ALT), RADAR DATA INDCD ACFT WOULD CROSS THE RWYCENTERLINE. RADAR CTC WAS THEN LOST; THE ACFT CRASHED IN A STEEP DSCNT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT BFR FLT, THE 1ST OFFICERMISINTERPRETED THE EXTERNAL LOCKPIN MANUAL CTL HANDLE PSN TO MEAN THE CD WAS LOCKED (AS A RESULT OF INCORRECT MARKINGS).ALSO, THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION OF A CD OPEN WARNING LGT SW, PREVENTING OPN OF THE WARNING LGT. ADDITIONALLY, SVRL SVC BULLETINS (SB'S) CONCERNING THE CD HAD NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH. THESE SB'S WOULD HAVE PROVIDED AN EXTRA SAFETY FEATURE OF THE CD WARNING LGT SYS, A DOOR VENTING SYS & A LOCKPIN VIEWING WINDOW FOR THE DOOR. THERE WAS NO EMERG PROC OR SPECIFIC GUIDANCE TO AID DC-9 CREWS FOR THIS SITUATION, THOUGH SVRL CD OPENINGS HAD OCCURRED. (SEE: NTSB/AAR-90/02)
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,238 hours in all; 1,938 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 41,931 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 13, 1989; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 114,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FWH at 8:08 am
- Destination: TIK Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 12,000 ft by 300 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:21 am from FWH, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.