Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15 accident near Cleveland, Ohio, February 17, 1991
On February 17, 1991 at about 5:19 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15, registered N565PC, was destroyed in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland-Hopkins Int'L airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE FLIGHTCREW TO DETECT AND REMOVE ICE CONTAMINATION ON THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS, WHICH WAS LARGELY A RESULT OF A LACK OF APPROPRIATE RESPONSE BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT COMPANY, AND RYAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES TO THE KNOWN CRITICAL EFFECT THAT A MINUTE AMOUNT OF CONTAMINATION HAS ON THE STALL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DC-9 SERIES 10 AIRPLANE. THE ICE CONTAMINATION LED TO WING STALL AND LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF. (NTSB REPORT AAR-91/09)
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 1991 · about 5:19 am local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cleveland-Hopkins Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15 · all DC-9-15s on the register
- Registration
- N565PC · registry record · serial 47240
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT HAD FLOWN THROUGH WEATHER CONDUCIVE TO AIRFRAME ICE ABOUT 40 MIN PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT DURING DESCENT INTO CLEVELAND. DURING THE 35-MINUTE TURNAROUND AT CLEVELAND THE CREW DID NOT EXIT THE AIRPLANE TO CONDUCT AN EXTERIOR PREFLIGHT INSPECTION TO VERIFY THAT THE WINGS WERE FREE OF ICE CONTAMINATION. IT WAS SNOWING WHILE THEY WERE ON THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND ROLLED INTO THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF. THERE WAS NO OPERATOR REQUIREMENT FOR THE PREFLIGHT. THE FLIGHT HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN TRAINING REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF WING CONTAMINATION ON THE AIRPLANE. THE FAA AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN AWARE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OF THE PROPENSITY OF THE DC-9 SERIES 10 TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSED BY WING CONTAMINATION, BUT NEITHER OF THEM TOOK POSITIVE ACTION TO INCLUDE RELATED INFORMATION IN THE APPROVED AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,505 hours in all; 505 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 90,700 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Ryan International Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: CLE at 5:19 am
- Destination: IND Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23L, 8,998 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from CLE
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.