Douglas DC-9-51 incident near Tampa, Florida, January 21, 1984
On January 21, 1984 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9-51, registered N401EA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Tampa, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 33 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
- January 21, 1984 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 33 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9-51 · all DC-9-51s on the register
- Registration
- N401EA · registry record · serial 920VJ
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CLIMBING AFTER TAKEOFF THRU ABOUT 3000 FT, THE CREW NOTED THAT THE #2 EPR HAD DROPPED ABOUT .08, FROM APRX 1.82 TO 1.74 EPR. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE 1ST OFFICER NOTED THAT THE AVM ON THE #2 ENG WAS AT THE MAX INDICATION. AT ABOUT 4000 FT, THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSIVE TYPE NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT AS THE RIGHT ENG LOST POWER. THE CREW SECURED THE RIGHT ENG, RETURNED TO TAMPA & LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT TURBINE BLADES HAD EXITED THE SIDE OF THE ENG TAILPIPE. TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE COMPRESSOR CENTER TUBE SEALING RING HAD AN APRX 1 IN (CIRCUMFERENTIAL) PIECE OF HARD SURFACE PLATING MISSING FROM THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER SEALING SURFACE. THIS FAILURE WAS IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH A GAP IN THE REAR PISTON RING. NEITHER RING COMFORMED TO DESIGN SPECS. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT HOT AIR CAUSED COKING OF THE OIL. THE TURBINE SHAFT HAD FAILED APRX 13 INCHES FORWARD OF THE 4-1/2 BEARING. THE 4-1/2 BEARING SEALS WERE DAMAGED, 7 DISPLAYED COKE DEPOSITS. THE LOW PRESS TURBINE MOVED AFT INTERMESHING BLADES & STATORS.
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: 8,952 hours in all; 1,023 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 23,349 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 1,284 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 122,000 lb
- Seats: 127
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-17 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from PIE, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 28 |
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.