Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 incident near Cleveland, Ohio, November 12, 1996
On November 12, 1996 at about 2:30 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88, registered N918DL, suffered minor damage in an incident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Hopkins Int Apt airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 118 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow checklist procedures and extend the spoilers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 1996 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cleveland Hopkins Int Apt
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 118 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88
- Registration
- N918DL · no longer on the register · serial 49583
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before landing, the flight crew was advised and acknowledged that the braking action on the runway was reported as 'fair.' After landing, the first officer selected reverse thrust to slow the airplane. The crew then noticed that the airplane was not slowing normally. The captain assumed control of the airplane, applied maximum braking and reverse thrust; however, the airplane continued off the departure end of the runway. Measurements taken immediately after the incident indicated braking action for the runway was 38 (fair), 23 (poor), and 27 (poor). Review of the flight data recorder revealed that the spoilers remained retracted at touchdown and during rollout to zero airspeed. According to the MD-80 Flight Crew Operating Manual, 'When armed, the automatic brake system (ABS) will automatically apply brakes during landing and takeoff modes of flight. ABS landing mode is activated when spoilers are deployed either automatically or manually.' The Abnormal Flight Profiles section of the Pilots Reference Manual stated, 'Ground spoilers significantly increase brake effectiveness. In order to achieve a maximum performance stop, ensure that ground spoilers have extended.' Review of the Delta Airlines MD-80/90 Normal Checklist revealed that it was the duty of the 'pilot not flying' to ensure that spoilers were in the 'ARM' position.
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: 12,000 hours in all; 1,021 in this make and model; 146 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 23,877 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 4, 1996; 285 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 149,500 lb
- Seats: 150
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D219 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 1:30 am
- Destination: CLE
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5R, 8,999 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; scat at 200 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:33 am from CLE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 113 |
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.