Airbus Industrie A319-132 incident near Midland, Texas, November 2, 2001
On November 2, 2001 at about 1:34 pm local time, a Airbus Industrie A319-132, registered N814AW, was involved in an incident near Midland, Texas (Midland International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 89 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the #1 engine's fatigue failure of the #3 bearing due to the manufacturer's inadequate design of the high-pressure compressor stubshaft coating, which resulted in a loss of engine power and an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2001 · about 1:34 pm local time
- Place
- Midland, Texas · Midland International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 89 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A319-132 · all A319-132s on the register
- Registration
- N814AW · registry record · serial 1281
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The transport airplane was in cruise flight at flight level 390 for 12 minutes when they received an "engine oil filter bypass" fault message on the engine centralized aircraft monitoring (ECAM) system; however, all of the engine parameters remained within limits. Subsequently, the oil pressure indication for the #1 (left) engine rose into the red band and a "high vibration and a thumping sound" was felt and heard. The flight crew then declared an emergency and diverted to another airport. The captain reported that during the landing roll, he moved both throttle levers into reverse, and simultaneously the cockpit and cabin began to fill with smoke. Air traffic controllers reported they observed white smoke emanating from the #1 engine during the landing roll. The captain stopped the airplane on the high-speed taxiway, turned off both engines, and an emergency evacuation ensued. The 1L and 2L doors were operated normally; however, the 1R door jammed when the flight attendant attempted to open it. Examination of the 1R door actuator and slide did not reveal the reason it failed to operate. Examination of the engine revealed that debris contamination of the #3 bearing initiated spallation of the bearing's outer ring raceway. Cyclic loading from the bearing balls passing over the growing raceway spall resulted in extensive fretting of the outer diameter surface of the outer ring, from which a fatigue crack was initiated. High-cycle fatigue progression radially through the outer ring was followed by rapid fracture and subsequent liberation of the outer ring fragments. The debris contamination more than likely came from the high-pressure compressor (HPC) stubshaft coating, which was liberated and entered the #3 bearing area causing it to fracture, and the engine to lose power. Research revealed this was one of five similar occurrences, which was traced down to a change in the manufacture process for the HPC stubshaft coating. The manufacturer has taken actions to alert operators of the existing problem.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,798 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 18, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 150,000 lb
- Seats: 130
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: International Aero Engines IAE-2524-A5 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: America West Airlines Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: IAH Houston TX at 12:10 pm
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16R, 9,501 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from MAF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 84 |
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.