Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10 incident near Los Angeles, California, July 13, 1991
On July 13, 1991 at about 4:08 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10, registered N111AA, was involved in an incident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 12 people had minor injuries; 215 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE'S FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM, SYSTRON DONNER FIRE DETECTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1991 · about 4:08 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 12 people had minor injuries; 215 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10 · all DC-10-10s on the register
- Registration
- N111AA · registry record · serial 46511
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLIGHT, THE #2 ENGINE FIRE DETECTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE CAPTAIN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. AFTER RETURNING TO THE DEPARTURE AIRFIELD, AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY AN EMERGENCY SLIDE EVACUATION OF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR ACTUAL FIRE. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINE'S FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM REVEALED THAT A SYSTRON DONNER FIRE DETECTOR, PN 4361, HAD FAILED. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT 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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 5,600 in this make and model; 234 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 413,000 lb
- Seats: 225
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Destination: BOS Boston MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 10,285 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:51 pm from LAX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 12 | ||
| Passengers | 11 | 203 |
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 N111AA 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.