Mcdonnell Douglas MD-82 incident near Dfw Airport, Texas, November 23, 1996
On November 23, 1996 at about 10:22 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-82, registered N3507A, suffered minor damage in an incident near Dfw Airport, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people had minor injuries; 116 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the low pressure turbine shaft. A factor was the coke build up on the low pressure turbine shaft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 1996 · about 10:22 pm local time
- Place
- Dfw Airport, Texas · Dallas-Fort Worth Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 116 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-82
- Registration
- N3507A · no longer on the register · serial 49801
- 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 airplane was departing when a thump was felt with a slight left nose pull, and the pilots aborted the takeoff. The pilots taxied clear of the runway and came to a stop. Several flight crews on the ground reported on the tower frequency that the incident airplane's left engine was on fire. The captain initiated evacuation of the airplane. The Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) personnel reported that the engine fire was confined to the tailpipe area. Turbine blades had separated from the number 4 turbine disk, penetrated the engine case, and subsequently damaged the engine pylon and empennage area. The teardown examination of the engine revealed that the Low Pressure Turbine (LPT) shaft was deformed and fractured into two pieces. Heavy coke deposits were identified on both the outer diameter of the LPT shaft and the inner diameter of the center tube. The two pieces of the LPT shaft were twisted and subjected to 'considerable' permanent deformation. The amount of plastic deformation was indicative of exposure to high temperatures. Additionally, the High Pressure Turbine shaft was found with a (one of three) 4 1/2 bearing stack retention pin missing.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,901 hours in all; 5,901 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,780 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 11, 1996; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 140,000 lb
- Seats: 121
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217C (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DFW at 10:19 pm
- Destination: ACP Acapulco
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17R, 13,400 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:04 pm from DFW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 111 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N3507A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.