Boeing 777 incident near Atlanta, Georgia, January 2, 2009
On January 2, 2009 at about 3:28 pm local time, a Boeing 777, registered N864DA, suffered minor damage in an incident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Atlanta, Georgia (Atlanta International Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 257 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fan blade fractured due to a fatigue crack that was the result of the combination of the breakdown of the fan blade lubrication system and residual fatigue life usage following the last overhaul of the fan blade. Contributing to the fracture was the inadequate lubrication schedule established by the engine manufacturer that was not reflective of the operator’s use of the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 2009 · about 3:28 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Atlanta International Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 257 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777 232 · all 777s on the register
- Registration
- N864DA · registry record
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Boeing 777 airplane experienced a contained fan blade fracture in the No. 2, right, engine, a Rolls-Royce plc RB.211 Trent 895-17 turbofan, during the takeoff roll at the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Aiport. The examination of the fan blade revealed it had fractured from a fatigue crack that had initiated at the intersection of the convex side aft corner of the shear key slot and bedding flank. The examination of the fan blade also revealed the plasma spray coating was deteriorated and the dry film lubricant was almost completely gone. A survey by the engine manufacturer of the operator's 777 engine usage indicated that because of the loads and lengths of the flights, the operator was operating their Trent 895-17 engines at higher thrust levels with correspondingly high fan rotational speeds, which were still within the engine's operating limits, than any other operator. The survey also indicated the operator was operating its 777 and Trent engines significantly more hours per cycle than any other Trent 895 operator. An analysis by the engine manufacturer indicated that the blade fracture was caused by a combination of the breakdown of the lubrication system and residual fatigue life usage in the blade root following the last overhaul coupled with the high operating stresses in the fan blade from the high thrust settings.
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
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Design › Task design › Manufacturer
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of maintenance › Manufacturer
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce Trent 895-17 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
The flight
- Departed from: KATL Atlanta GA
- Destination: NRT Tokyo Narita
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 11 | |||
| Flight crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 242 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N864DA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.