Boeing 767-332 incident near Salt Lake City, Utah, June 20, 1996
On June 20, 1996 at about 5:22 am local time, a Boeing 767-332, registered N136DL, suffered minor damage in an incident near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 186 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of maintenance personnel to properly disconnect (disengage) the right integrated drive generator (IDG) in compliance with the MEL dispatch procedure, which allowed the right IDG to overheat. Factors relating to the incident were: low oil pressure in the right IDG, and insufficiently defined company developed dispatch procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1996 · about 5:22 am local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake City Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 186 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-332 · all 767-332s on the register
- Registration
- N136DL · no longer on the register · serial 25146
- 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 taxi for departure a 'R GEN OFF' and 'R GEN DRIVE' EICAS message illuminated indicating a malfunction of the right integrated drive generator (IDG), and the crew returned the Boeing 767 to the gate. Maintenance was notified, and a mechanic was dispatched to the aircraft. The mechanic reported that he 'assumed (the) crew had disconnected (the) IDG.' The captain reported that he was advised by the mechanic that 'the IDG is disconnected.' The aircraft was prepared and released according to its MEL for the flight using the left IDG and APU generator. During climbout a 'R STARTER CUTOUT' EICAS message illuminated followed by a fire warning on the right engine. Both fire bottles were exhausted, the fire warning extinguished, and the aircraft was returned to Salt Lake City, for emergency landing on runway 16L. Postincident examination of the engine revealed the fire-damaged remains of the right IDG and its magnesium housing. A download of digital data from the aircraft revealed that the original EICAS and IDG annunciations were related to low oil pressure within the IDG. An FAA inspector, who examined the aircraft immediately following the event, found the right IDG disconnect switch still safety wired (the IDG cannot be disconnected without breaking the wire and depressing the switch). The MEL dispatch procedure developed by the carrier did not address the need to run the associated engine at or above idle in order to successfully disconnect the IDG.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,500 hours in all; 962 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 15, 1996; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 345,000 lb
- Seats: 264
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80A2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
The flight
- Departed from: SLC UT at 4:55 am
- Destination: PDX Portland OR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16L, 12,003 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 am from SLC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 | |||
| Passengers | 178 |
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.