Boeing 757-2Q8 incident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 9, 2011
On February 9, 2011 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Boeing 757-2Q8, registered N704X, suffered minor damage in an incident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis-St.Paul Internatio airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the right engine's fuel control unit to operate correctly when the fuel metering valve became frozen in the full open position because of corrosion on the fuel metering valve slide and sleeve, which caused the engine to be overfueled during engine start and resulted in a tailpipe fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2011 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Minneapolis-St.Paul Internatio · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-2Q8 · all 757-2Q8s on the register
- Registration
- N704X · no longer on the register · serial 28163
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-2Q8 airplane, N704X, experienced a tailpipe fire in the No.2 (right) engine, a Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW2037, during engine start at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The main and aft inboard flaps and inboard flap track fairing on the right wing were blistered, charred, and delaminated, and the right main landing gear fairing was blistered. During engine start, the pilots stated that the No. 2 engine lit off immediately. The pilots stated that immediately after the engine lit off, they were distracted by a yellow glow on the right side of the airplane that grew in intensity; the captain initially thought it was an airport vehicle approaching the airplane. The pilots then heard a low frequency rumbling sound; and also heard people talking on the ground control frequency about an airplane on fire. The captain stated that when he looked back at the engine indications, the No. 2 engine fuel flow was 8,300 pounds per hour (pph); the normal is 1,000 pph. The captain then called for the engine to be shut down. The interrogation of the engine indicating and crew alerting system electronic propulsion control system page revealed several fault codes indicating that the fuel control unit (FCU) fuel metering valve (FMV) did not move to the position commanded by the electronic engine control. The disassembly of the FCU revealed corrosion on the FMV sleeve and slide. According to the FCU manufacturer, when the PW2037 engine is shut down, the FCU FMV is in the full open position. The airplane had been parked outside on the ramp in subzero temperatures for about 36 hours before the incident occurred. Naturally present water in the fuel nucleated on the corrosion on the FMV sleeve and slide, freezing it in position, which prevented it from during before engine start. The manufacturer also stated that at the time of the event, when the high pressure rotor speed was about 40 percent, the fuel flow with the FCU FMV in the full open position would be in the 8,000 pph range.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control electronic › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,935 hours in all; 7,104 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 4, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,951 hours in all; 2,134 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 25, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 178
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Delta Air Lines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KMSP Minneapolis MN
- Destination: KJFK Jamaica NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N704X 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.