Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51 incident near Atlanta, Georgia, August 6, 2011
On August 6, 2011 at about 4:52 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51, registered N676MC, suffered minor damage in an incident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Atlanta, Georgia. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The probable cause of the No. 2 engine failure and subsequent aborted takeoff was the high cycle fatigue failure of a fan blade near the blade root that resulted in extensive low pressure compressor damage and compressor case breach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2011 · about 4:52 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51 · all DC-9-51s on the register
- Registration
- N676MC · no longer on the register · serial 47652
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Based on metallurgical analysis, a fan blade in the No. 2 engine separated at the blade root due to a high cycle fatigue crack when the engines were accelerated for takeoff. The liberated blade entered the gas path and caused damage to the inlet guide vanes, the remaining fan blades, fan exit guide vanes, and low pressure compressor as it was ingested. The mid span shrouds on the remaining fan blades exhibited shingling and witness marks also consistent with impact from the separated blade. The crew reacted to the engine failure and were able to abort takeoff and safely stop the airplane on the runway surface.
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
- Uncontained engine failure during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Failure
The aircraft
- Seats: 139
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W JT8D-17 SER (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W JT8D-17 SER (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
The flight
- Departed from: Atlanta GA
- Destination: PIT Pittsburgh PA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:52 pm from ATL
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.