Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 accident near Decatur, Michigan, January 28, 1988
On January 28, 1988 at about 3:20 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registered N262AA, was involved in an accident near Decatur, Michigan. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 81 others were unhurt. 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 accident. 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 28, 1988 · about 3:20 am local time
- Place
- Decatur, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 81 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 · all DC-9-82s on the register
- Registration
- N262AA · registry record · serial 49290
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WAS PULLING A BEVERAGE CART UP THE AISLE WHEN THE PAD THE COFFEE POT WAS RESTING ON CAUGHT AGAINST A CURTAIN. THE PAD WAS PULLED OFF THE CART AND THE FULL POT OF COFFEE SPILLED IN A PASSENGERS LAP. THE PASSENGER SERVICE CART HAS A RECESSED AREA FOR THE COFFEE POT. HOWEVER, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT DID NOT USE IT. THE PASSENGER RECEIVED 2ND DEGREE BURNS ON HIS LEG AND HIP. THE PASSENGER SAID HE WISHED TO CONTINUE TO HIS DESTINATION. WHEN THE FLIGHT LANDED THE PASSENGER WAS MET BY PARAMEDICS WHO TRANSPORTATED HIM TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE HE STAYED FOR 3 DAYS.
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: 11,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 140,000 lb
- Seats: 96
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORD Chicago IL
- Destination: BUF Buffalo NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 75 |
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.