Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9 incident near Monte Vista, Colorado, October 18, 1989
On October 18, 1989 at about 6:15 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9, registered N922RW, suffered minor damage in an incident near Monte Vista, Colorado (Monte Vista airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 102 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING AND DECISIONS MADE BY THE FLIGHT CREW FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER TWO GENERATOR CONSTANT SPEED DRIVE UNIT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE FAILURE OF THE NO. 2 GENERATOR CONSTANT SPEED DRIVE UNIT AND THE CREW'S INADVERTENT SHUT DOWN OF THE WRONG GENERATOR WHICH RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 1989 · about 6:15 am local time
- Place
- Monte Vista, Colorado · Monte Vista · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 102 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9 · all DC-9s on the register
- Registration
- N922RW · no longer on the register · serial 47182
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL350 THE NO. 2 GENERATOR CONSTANT SPEED DRIVE (CSD) FAILED AND THE CREW INADVERTENTLY DISCONNECTED THE NO. 1 GENERATOR CSD. ATTEMPTS TO START THE APU ABOVE THE START ENVELOPE WERE MADE BUT ABORTED DUE TO A HOT START. A DESCENT WAS MADE ON EMERG ELECTRICAL POWER AND A LANDING WAS MADE AT AN ARPT WHICH WAS INADEQUATE FOR THE ACFT. THE CREW CHOSE TO MAKE A NO FLAP APCH AND TO LOWER LANDING GEAR BY EMERG METHOD WHEN BOTH SYSTEMS WERE OPERABLE BY NORMAL MEANS. THIS DECISION WAS INFLUENCED BY THE LACK OF LANDING GEAR AND FLAP POSITION INDICATORS WHEN THE ACFT IS OPERATED ON BATTERY POWER. THE LANDING SPEED WAS FAST AND THE ACFT DEPARTED THE END OF THE RWY DAMAGING THE LANDING GEAR AND THE NO. 1 ENGINE. THE CREW FAILED TO MANUALLY DEPRESSURIZE THE ACFT AND THE EVACUATION WAS DELAYED UNTIL A KNOWLEDGEABLE PASSENGER WENT TO THE COCKPIT AND DEPRESSURIZED THE ACFT. THE OPERATORS ACFT OPERATING MANUAL DID CONTAIN APU STARTING PROCEDURES BUT NOT AN APU START ENVELOPE CHART.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,730 hours in all; 12,335 in this make and model; 176 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 61,931 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 13, 1989; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 108,000 lb
- Seats: 116
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 2, 6,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; scat at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 am from PUB, 100 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 3 | ||
| Passengers | 99 |
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.