Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 incident near Santa Ana, California, February 17, 1984
On February 17, 1984 at about 4:46 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registered N203AA, was involved in an incident near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 98 people were on board or involved. 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
- February 17, 1984 · about 4:46 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 98 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 · all DC-9-82s on the register
- Registration
- N203AA · no longer on the register · serial 49145
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF A TTL PWR LOSS WAS EXPERIENCED ON THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OCCURRED IN THE COMPRESSOR SECTION FROM STAGE 6 REARWARD. 40 STAGE 8 COMPRESSOR BLADES WERE FORCED COMPLETELY OUT OF THEIR DISK DOVETAIL SLOTS. OF THE 18 REMAINING BLADES, 17 WERE MISSING THEIR AIRFOILS WHICH HAD FRACTURED JUST ABOVE THE PLATFORM. THE 18TH BLADE WAS FRACTURED THROUGH THE ROOT AREA JUST BELOW THE PLATFORM. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE 18TH BLADE DISCLOSED THE BLADE SUSTAINED A DIAGONAL AND TRANSVERSE FRACTURE THROUGH THE ROOT OF THR BLADE PROGRESSING IN HIGH CYCLE FATIGUE FROM THE ORIGIN ALONG THE EDGE OF THE DISK.
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: instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 29, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 140,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA at 4:43 pm
- Destination: DFW Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1L, 5,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 am from SNA, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 93 |
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.