Lockheed L-1011-385-1-15 accident near Honolulu, Hawaii, August 8, 1997
On August 8, 1997 at about 5:35 am local time, a Lockheed L-1011-385-1-15, registered N740DA, suffered minor damage in an accident near Honolulu, Hawaii (Honolulu International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 58 people had minor injuries; 246 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the cumulative distance taxied immediately prior to takeoff that precipitated an excessive heat buildup in the tires and resulted in the bead separation of a single tire during the takeoff roll. The absence of cockpit procedures/directives or monitoring equipment to identify this condition was a factor in the accident. Contributing to the accident was the unavailability of two emergency exits due to the malfunction of the 2R and 4R emergency doors
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1997 · about 5:35 am local time
- Place
- Honolulu, Hawaii · Honolulu International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 58 people had minor injuries; 246 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed L-1011-385-1-15 L-1011-385
- Registration
- N740DA · no longer on the register · serial 193C-1244
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After maintenance completed troubleshooting and the aircraft taxied out for the final time, the aircraft had taxied 11.3 miles within a 3-hour period. There was no temperature gauge or tabular data available that could have informed the crew that heat buildup resulting from taxi distance was now at a level that potentially threatened the integrity of the tires. During the takeoff roll, the 3F tire exploded, resulting in vibration, shudder, and yaw. The sudden instability, combined with a phantom C1 cargo door light, caused the Captain to abort. The abort was initiated about Vr (165 knots) with approximately 6,000 feet of runway remaining. As the aircraft came to a stop, the nose wheels were 164 feet short of the overrun area for runway 8R. A brake fire began while the aircraft was stopping and the captain directed an emergency evacuation. The 2R and 4R doors failed to open, and the 4L and 3L doors were not used due to their proximity to the fire and smoke. The 4R door was jammed by a broken piece of backboard, and the 2R door malfunctioned due to a partially broken counterbalance spring. The flight attendant who attempted to open the 2R door did not attempt to manually lift the door. All evacuations were made through the 1L, 1R, 2L, and 3R doors. Firefighters had difficulty communicating with the flight crew and in verifying the total number onboard because the airline's passenger count does not include lap children. A total of 56 passengers and 2 flight attendants were treated for minor injuries, while 1 passenger received a broken ankle. All injuries were attributed to the use of the slides. Passengers failed to follow flight attendants and attempted to evacuate with their carryons. The airline did not effectively supervise the passengers after the evacuation and several began walking toward an active runway. An inspection of the 3R tire showed bead separation had occurred. The estimated bead temperatures during the takeoff roll reached between 350 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The bead begins to degrade between 250 and 280 degrees Fahrenheit.
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: 20,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60,686 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 1, 1997; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 510,000 lb
- Seats: 310
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB211-524B4I (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HNL HI at 5:34 am
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8R, 12,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:05 am from HNL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 12 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 56 | 234 |
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.