Douglas DC-8-71 incident near West Palm Bch, Florida, September 8, 1985
On September 8, 1985 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Douglas DC-8-71, registered N1300L, suffered minor damage in an incident near West Palm Bch, Florida (West Palm Beach airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 107 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
- September 8, 1985 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Bch, Florida · West Palm Beach · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 107 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-8-71 · all DC-8-71s on the register
- Registration
- N1300L · no longer on the register · serial 46014
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKE OFF ROLL THE #4 ENGINE FAILED CAUSING CATOSTROPHIC DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE. DURING SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION THE LEFT VGV ACTUATOR PIN WAS FOUND TO BE MISSING. WITHOUT THIS PIN THE VGV ARM8 ARE AYSEMETRICALLY DRIVEN. THE VGV ARMS WERE FOUND BROKEN IN HIGH STRESS LOW CYCLE DRIVEN. THE VGV ARMS WERE FOUND BROKEN IN HIGH STRESS LOW CYCLE FATIGUE. THE HIGH PRESSURE COMPRESSER BLADES WERE FAILED IN LOW STRESS HIGH CYCLE FATIGUE.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 7, 1985; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 336,000 lb
- Seats: 152
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CFM56-2-CI (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Delta Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: PBI West Palm Bch FL at 3:20 pm
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 6,930 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from PBI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 10 | |||
| Passengers | 97 |
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.