Serious incident McDonnell Douglas MD-82 N72822,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 362780
 
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Date:Monday 12 October 1992
Time:21:01 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic MD82 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
McDonnell Douglas MD-82
Owner/operator:Continental Airlines, Inc.
Registration: N72822
MSN: 49482
Total airframe hrs:19807 hours
Engine model:P&W JT8D-217A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 88
Aircraft damage: Minor
Category:Serious incident
Location:Denver, CO -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Houston, TX (KIAH)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE 'RIGHT REVERSER ACCUMULATOR LOW' CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED. EXAMINATION FOLLOWING LANDING REVEALED THAT THE AUXILIARY POWER UNIT (APU) TURBINE WHEEL HAD SEPARATED IN AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE, AND HAD DAMAGED NUMEROUS COMPONENTS IN THE COMPARTMENT BELOW THE NUMBER TWO ENGINE PYLON. THE APU HAD BEEN PLACARDED AS INOPERATIVE TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL WHEN AN INADVERTENT ATTEMPT TO START THE APU HAD OCCURRED, BUT DID REVEAL THAT NO PROCEDURES, OTHER THAN THE INOPERATIVE PLACARD, WERE IN PLACE TO PREVENT START ATTEMPTS.

Probable Cause: AN INADVERTENT ATTEMPT, BY UNKNOWN PERSONS, TO START THE APU WHICH HAD BEEN PLACARDED AS INOPERATIVE. FACTORS WERE: INADEQUATE PROCEDURES IN RENDERING THE APU INCAPABLE OF BEING STARTED WHEN INOPERATIVE.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: DEN93IA005
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 8 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB DEN93IA005

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
18-Mar-2024 10:14 ASN Update Bot Added

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