Boeing 757-251 incident near Atlanta, Georgia, October 10, 2011
On October 10, 2011 at about 7:03 pm local time, a Boeing 757-251, registered N553NW, suffered minor damage in an incident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Atlanta, Georgia (Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta I). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 182 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the return to service of overhauled airplane engine parts with undetected fatigue cracks, resulting in complete loss of engine power and uncontained engine failure. A contributing factor was the inadequate diffuser and HPT case inspection procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2011 · about 7:03 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta I · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 182 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-251 · all 757-251s on the register
- Registration
- N553NW · registry record · serial 26500
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The diffuser case of a Pratt & Whitney PW2037(M) engine installed on a B757-200 airplane ruptured during takeoff roll at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia (ATL). The force of the case rupture caused the hinge-mounted core cowl halves to distort and strike the leading edge and underside of the airplane's left wing, resulting in minor airplane damage. Metallurgical investigation and review of the engine's maintenance records determined that cracks in the engine's diffuser case rear flange (M-flange) and cracks in the HPT case forward flange (M-flange) were not detected when the cases underwent fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI) during the engine's last shop visit, 3,479 cycles before the event. The undetected cracks continued to propagate, leading to the in-service diffuser case rupture. The reason for the ineffective inspection was not determined, but was narrowed to chronological- and operator-based scenarios. A suspect population of 50 engines was identified that included sub-populations for both possibilities. The FAA published airworthiness directive (AD) 2014-05-32, requiring the M-flanges of PW2037, PW2037D, PW2037M, PW2040, PW2040D, PW2043, PW2143, PW2240, PW2337, PW2643, and F117-PW-100 engines in the identified suspect population to undergo eddy current inspection within 100 flight cycles or 30 days. No additional cracks were found. As a result of the investigation, the FAA published airworthiness directive (AD) 2014-05-32, which requires the M-flanges of PW2000 engines with certain diffuser and HPT cases installed to undergo eddy current inspection within 100 flight cycles or 30 days. AD 2014-05-32 also requires that high-sensitivity FPI penetrant be used when accomplishing FPI of the PW2037, PW2037D, PW2037M, PW2040, PW2040D, PW2043, PW2143, PW2240, PW2337, PW2643, and F117-PW-100 diffuser case M-flange and the HPT case M-flange. In addition, AD 2014-05-32 makes the performance of diffuser and HPT case M-flange high-sensitivity FPI at every piece part opportunity an airworthiness limitation for PW2037, PW2037D, PW2037M, PW2040, PW2040D, PW2043, PW2146, PW2240, PW2337, PW2643, and F117-PW-100 engines.
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
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Combustion section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Combustion section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Combustion section › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Combustion section › Inadequate inspection
The aircraft
- Seats: 178
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: P & W PW2037 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W PW2037 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Delta Air Lines Inc
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 7:03 pm
- Destination: DFW Dallas TX
- 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)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 176 |
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.