Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51 incident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 18, 1990
On January 18, 1990 at about 11:47 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51, registered N405EA, was involved in an incident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 44 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FLIGHT CREW OF EAL121 TAKING OFF ON A TAXIWAY. CONTRIBUTING WAS FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT CREW OF EAL 121 TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT DURING TAXI AND TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 1990 · about 11:47 am local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 44 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51 · all DC-9-51s on the register
- Registration
- N405EA · no longer on the register · serial 47688
- 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 DC 9 WAS OBSERVED TO TAKEOFF ON A TAXIWAY BY PERSONNEL IN THE CONTROL TOWER. THE TAKEOFF WAS CORROBORATED BY RADAR DATA FROM THE AIRPORT AND A READOUT OF THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER. THE TAKEOFF OCCURRED JUST PRIOR TO THE START OF CIVIL TWILIGHT IN THE MORNING. THE RUNWAY HAS WHITE CENTERLINE MARKINGS, WHITE EDGE LIGHTING, AND WHITE MARKINGS. THE TAXIWAY HAD YELLOW MARKINGS AND GREEN CENTERLINE LIGHTING. THE CAPTAIN SAID HE REMEMBERED WHITE CENTERLINE LIGHTING. THE COPILOT SAID HE SAW THE CENTERLINE LIGHTS AND BELIEVED THEY WERE WHITE.
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: 8,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 110,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-17 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from PHL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 39 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N405EA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.