Mcdonnell Douglas DC 10-10 incident near San Francisco, California, September 23, 1992
On September 23, 1992 at about 4:22 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC 10-10, registered N1845U, suffered minor damage in an incident near San Francisco, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 235 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A FRACTURED COMPRESSOR ASSEMBLY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 1992 · about 4:22 pm local time
- Place
- San Francisco, California · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 235 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC 10-10 · all DC 10-10s on the register
- Registration
- N1845U · no longer on the register · serial 48261
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT COMPANY DC 10 SERIES 10 AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE WHILE IN THE CRUISE CLIMB. THE ENGINE HAD SUSTAINED AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE 14TH THROUGH 16TH STAGE COMPRESSOR SPOOL. ABOUT 11 YEARS BEFORE THE INCIDENT, THE SPOOL WAS DAMAGED BEYOND MAINTENANCE MANUAL LIMITS. THE DAMAGE CONSISTED OF A 360 DEGREE RUB ON THE AFT RIM SURFACE (SURFACE Q) OF THE 16TH STAGE COMPRESSOR. THE SPOOL WAS PLACED IN STORAGE FOR FIVE YEARS AND THEN RETURNED TO SERVICE AFTER BEING REPAIRED. FLIGHT PROFILE STRESSES WERE ANALYZED BY ENGINE MANUFACTURER. ACCORDING TO THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER, PEAK STRESSES IN THE AFT RIM REGION OR SURFACE Q OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME IN THE FLIGHT PROFILE AS THE UNCONTAINED FAILURE.
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: 18,977 hours in all; 6,692 in this make and model; 9,033 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 36,958 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 5, 1992; 490 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 430,000 lb
- Seats: 287
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-6D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Destination: KOA Kona HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 300 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:36 pm from SFO, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 11 | |||
| Passengers | 224 |
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.