Douglas DC-9-31 incident near Nashville, Tennessee, September 9, 1999
On September 9, 1999 at about 4:38 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9-31, registered N993Z, suffered minor damage in an incident near Nashville, Tennessee (Nashville International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people had minor injuries; 43 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A preexisting crack on the left main landing gear outer cylinder housing and the first officer's failure to maintain the proper rate of descent resulting in a hard landing on touchdown, and subsequent total failure and separation of the left main landing gear on landing rollout. Contributing to the accident was the pilot-in-commands improper supervision of the first officer during the approach phase of the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 1999 · about 4:38 pm local time
- Place
- Nashville, Tennessee · Nashville International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 43 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9-31 · all DC-9-31s on the register
- Registration
- N993Z · no longer on the register · serial 47082
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The first officer failed to maintain the proper rate of descent (sink rate) resulting in a hard landing on touch down, and separation of the left main landing gear during landing rollout. The pilot-in-command stated he knew the first officer was not going to make a good landing. He did not take any corrective action other than informing the first officer initially to increase power. Examination of the left main landing gear assembly revealed a preexisting crack in the outer cylinder housing.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 13,332 hours in all; 5,022 in this make and model; 138 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 5,319 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,838 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 7, 1998; 1,874 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 108,000 lb
- Seats: 107
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans World Airlines INC.
The flight
- Departed from: STL St. Louis MO at 3:44 pm
- Destination: BNA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 2L, 7,702 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:40 pm from BNA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 38 |
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.