Douglas DC-8-63 incident near Toledo, Ohio, November 13, 1991
On November 13, 1991 at about 9:45 am local time, a Douglas DC-8-63, registered N794AL, suffered minor damage in an incident near Toledo, Ohio. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT ENGINEER TO CONDUCT A PROPER PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND ENSURE THE MAIN CARGO DOOR WAS FULLY CLOSED AND LOCKED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE DAMAGED WIRES IN THE BUNDLE, AND THE IMPROPER MAIN CARGO DOOR INSTALLATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 13, 1991 · about 9:45 am local time
- Place
- Toledo, Ohio · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-8-63 · all DC-8-63s on the register
- Registration
- N794AL · no longer on the register · serial 45923
- 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 MAIN CARGO DOOR OPENED IN FLIGHT AND THE AIRPLANE RETURNED FOR A NORMAL LANDING. OF THE TWO CIRCUIT BREAKERS REQUIRED TO BE PULLED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, ONE WAS FOUND STILL ENGAGED. A CONFORMITY INSPECTION ON THE CARGO DOOR INSTALLATION REVEALED SEVERAL AREAS OF NONCONFORMITY INCLUDING DOOR LOCKS OF LESS THAN REQUIRED STRENGTH, LACK OF PAINT ON DOOR LOCKS WHICH IS USED FOR VISUAL IDENTIFICATION, AND DAMAGED WIRES IN A BUNDLE. THE WIRES WERE PART OF THE DOOR CLOSING, DOOR LOCKED INDICATING SYSTEM. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR THE DOOR TO BE NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED AND HAVE THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT GO OUT, INDICATING IT WAS FULLY LOCKED.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 6,300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 355,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3D-7 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LAX Los Angeles CA
- 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 | 3 |
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 N794AL 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.