Mcdonnell Douglas DC8-55 incident near Dfw Airport, Texas, January 15, 1993
On January 15, 1993 at about 6:15 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC8-55, registered N8041U, suffered minor damage in an incident near Dfw Airport, Texas. 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
FAILURE OF AN ENGINE TURBINE WHEEL FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 1993 · about 6:15 am local time
- Place
- Dfw Airport, Texas
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC8-55
- Registration
- N8041U · no longer on the register · serial 45675
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB FOLLOWING A TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC (UNCONTAINED) FAILURE OF THE NUMBER FOUR ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE RETURNED TO ITS DEPARTURE POINT AND LANDED SAFELY. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT A TURBINE DISC HAD FAILED. DURING THE UNCONTAINED FAILURE THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CONTROL SURFACES.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 16,750 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 12,815 as pilot in command; 2,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 52,455 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 23, 1992; 116 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 309,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3D-3B (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Zantop International
The flight
- Destination: YIP Ypsilanti MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.