Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 incident near Yuma, Arizona, September 17, 1992
On September 17, 1992 at about 5:20 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11, registered N90187, suffered minor damage in an incident near Yuma, Arizona (Yuma Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN UNSTABLE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CENTER BODY MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1992 · about 5:20 am local time
- Place
- Yuma, Arizona · Yuma Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 · all MD-11s on the register
- Registration
- N90187 · no longer on the register · serial 48437
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS INSTRUMENTED A FLIGHT TEST MD11 TO EXPLORE TWO PREVIOUS IN SERVICE INCIDENTS OF CENTER MAIN BODY LANDING GEAR DRAG LINK FAILURES. THE TEST PROTOCOL WAS DESIGNED TO REPLICATE THE KNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TWO IN SERVICE FAILURES. DURING THE LANDING ON THE TEST FLIGHT, A FAILURE OF THE DRAG LINK WAS INDUCED, WHICH ALLOWED THE CENTER MAIN BODY GEAR TO FOLD AFT DAMAGING THE WHEEL WELL AND ADJACENT SKIN PANELS. EXAMINATION OF THE INSTRUMENTATION DATA REVEALED THAT THE DRAG LINK FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF A DYNAMIC INSTABILITY OF THE CENTER BODY GEAR DUE TO AN UNFAVORABLE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CENTER BODY LANDING GEAR AND THE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM (INCLUDING THE ANTI SKID AND AUTO BRAKE SUB SYSTEMS). AS A CORRECTIVE ACTION, THE MANUFACTURER DEVELOPED A MODIFICATION TO THE ANTI SKID CONTROL UNIT.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 610,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW4460 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mcdonnel Douglass CORP
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 13,299 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 |
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.