Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 accident near Honolulu, Hawaii, June 21, 1997
On June 21, 1997 at about 9:22 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11, registered EICDK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Honolulu, Hawaii (Honolulu International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 308 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to apply adequate manual control inputs following his decision to disconnect the autopilot during the autoland operation, resulting in a subsequent loss of directional control. Also causal and contributing to the tail strike was the pilot's improper decision to initiate a go-around during reverse thrust engine operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 1997 · about 9:22 pm local time
- Place
- Honolulu, Hawaii · Honolulu International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 308 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 · all MD-11s on the register
- Registration
- EICDK · no longer on the register · serial 48501
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an autopilot autoland approach and landing, the captain disconnected the autopilot at touchdown. Manual flight control inputs were not sufficient to maintain runway heading and prevent pitch up upon spoiler deployment. Reverse thrust was selected and then go-around thrust was applied. During the go-around, 3 engine thrust was not symmetrical. The airplane was overrotated and a tail strike occurred.
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: 14,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,103 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 602,500 lb
- Seats: 295
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80C2A3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WRRR Jakarta at 8:55 am
- Destination: KHNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8L, 12,357 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from HNL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 19 | |||
| Passengers | 289 |
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.