Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 incident near Tucson, Arizona, March 15, 2001
On March 15, 2001 at about 7:39 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88, registered N996DL, suffered minor damage in an incident near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson Intl. airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 101 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of 4th stage turbine blades during takeoff roll, which resulted in a dynamic imbalance in the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2001 · about 7:39 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson Intl. · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 101 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88
- Registration
- N996DL · no longer on the register · serial 53363
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The air carrier airplane experienced severe vibrations and a loss of right engine power following a partial loss of 4th stage turbine blades during the takeoff sequence. According to the flight crew's statements, they noticed the vibration and loss of hydraulic fluid quantity and pressure shortly after VR. They then observed a loss of right engine pressure ratio (EPR) and the right engine thrust reverser indication lights. The flight crew reduced right engine power and landed uneventfully at the departure airport. The post-incident examination of the right engine revealed the engine event was caused by the imbalance of the low pressure turbine (LPT) rotor due to a significant loss of the 4th stage blade airfoil and shroud material. This imbalance resulted in rub between the LPT shaft and the high pressure turbine (HPT) shaft. A hole was eventually rubbed through the LPT shaft. Oil in the vicinity of this shaft rub was ignited, giving the LPT shaft the appearance of burn through. The extent of the damage to other systems (hydraulic lines, EPR reference lines, fire warning systems, etc.) was attributed to the duration of excessive vibration experienced until the engine was safely shutdown. Prior to the incident, the right engine was placed on a 50-cycle continue-in-service limitation in accordance with a P&W internal engineering notice for missing 4th stage turbine blade shroud/shrouds. At the time of the event, the right engine had accumulated 13 cycles of the 50-cycle limit. The post-incident blade material loss observed was well above that allowed under the continue-in-service limits, and the imbalance was most likely the result of another event that occurred after the continue-in-service shroud inspection. The cause of the 4th stage material loss could not be conclusively determined.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,585 hours in all; 3,513 in this make and model; 201 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: October 27, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,201 hours in all; 4,277 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 9, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25,852 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 13, 2001; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 149,500 lb
- Seats: 149
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 7:39 pm
- Destination: CVG Cincinnati OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11L, 10,996 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from TUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 96 |
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.