Boeing B767-232 incident near D/Fw Airport, Texas, May 11, 1985
On May 11, 1985 at about 10:05 pm local time, a Boeing B767-232, registered N108DL, suffered minor damage in an incident near D/Fw Airport, Texas (Dfw Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 53 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
- May 11, 1985 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- D/Fw Airport, Texas · Dfw Airport
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 53 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B767-232
- Registration
- N108DL · no longer on the register · serial 22220
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE B767 WAS ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE PRESSURE REGULATOR AND SHUTOFF VALVE COUPLED WITH THE HIGH PRESURE SHUTOFF VALVE MALFUNCTIONED RESULTING IN PRESSURES BEING DEVELOPED IN THE DOWNSTREAM AIRCRAFT DUCTING IN EXCESS OF 300 PSIG. A COUPLING IN THE AIR CONDITIONING PACK BAY SEPARATED ALLOWING THE DUCTING TO COME APART DUE TO THE EXCESS PRESSURE WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO TEAR LOOSE DUCT SUPPORTS, CRACK FAIRING PANELS, SEVER BOTH RH ENGINE THROTTLE CABLES, BREAK ACTUATING LINKAGE FOR THE LEADING EDGE SLAT DRIVE, BLOW OPEN RH PACK BAY DOOR AND CAUSE A SECTION OF DUCTING CONTAINING THE CENTER ISOLATION VALVE TO DEPART FROM THE AIRCRAFT. MINOR DAMAGE OCCURRIED TO THE AIR CRAFT STRUCTURE
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,535 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 300,000 lb
- Seats: 255
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas Ft.Worth TX at 10:30 pm
- Destination: LGA New York NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 11,387 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from DFW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 | |||
| Passengers | 45 |
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.