Mcdonnell Douglas DC9-32 incident near Las Vegas, Nevada, June 24, 1983
On June 24, 1983 at about 9:26 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC9-32, registered N942N, suffered minor damage in an incident near Las Vegas, Nevada (Mccarren Int'L. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 6 people had minor injuries; 86 others were unhurt. 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
- June 24, 1983 · about 9:26 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · Mccarren Int'L. · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 6 people had minor injuries; 86 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC9-32 · all DC9-32s on the register
- Registration
- N942N · no longer on the register · serial 47459
- 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 GROUND RUN FOR TAKEOFF A FATIGUE PRECIPITATED FAILURE OF THE THIRD STAGE TURBINE BLADE OCCURRED WITH SECONDARY DAMAGE TO SEVERAL GUIDE VANES AND THE FOURTH STAGE TURBINE WHEEL. IMBALANCE OF THE TURBINE WHEEL CAUSED THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER SIX BEARING ALLOWING OIL TO LEAK INTO THE EXHAUST AREA CAUSING A LOW INTENSITY FIRE
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,525 hours in all; 3,525 in this make and model; 159 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,039 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 24, 1983; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 91,500 lb
- Seats: 104
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 12,636 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:48 pm from LAS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 6 | 81 |
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.