Douglas DC-8-63F incident near Dfw Airport, Texas, April 16, 1983
On April 16, 1983 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Douglas DC-8-63F, registered N773FT, was involved in an incident near Dfw Airport, Texas (Dfw Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 1983 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Dfw Airport, Texas · Dfw Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-8-63F · all DC-8-63Fs on the register
- Registration
- N773FT · registry record · serial 45966
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CAPTAIN SAID HE WAS ASKED TO EXPEDITE THE TAKEOFF BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC ON SHORT FINAL SO HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLES TO PARTIAL POWER TO MAKE A ROLLING TAKEOFF. THE ACFT'S NOSE WHEEL CROSSED THE CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT AND THE CAPTAIN CORRECTED BACK WITH NOSE WHEEL STEERING TO THE LEFT. AS THE NOSEWHEEL REACHED THE CENTER LINE HE TRIED TO TURN THE NOSE WHEEL BACK TO THE RIGHT BUT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT SEEM TO RESPOND AND THE NOSE CONTINUED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT'S SPEED WAS INCREASING AND THE POWER WAS STILL SET. THE CAPTAIN PLACED BOTH HANDS ON THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. HE THEN ORDERED THE FIRST OFFICER TO REDUCE POWER. THE CAPTAIN THEN APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND BRAKING BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT LEFT THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED FOR AN INSPECTION THE CO-PILOT OF THAT FLIGHT STATED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING, BRAKES AND THRUSTREVERSERS ALL OPERATED NORMALLY.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 52 in the last 30 days; 2,582 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 358,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3D-7 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: IAH Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 11,387 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from DFW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.