ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 N39081 Newark International Airport, NJ (EWR)
ASN logo
 

Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Tuesday 25 April 2000
Time:19:42
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC10 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
Operator:Continental Air Lines
Registration: N39081
MSN: 47861/75
First flight: 1973
Total airframe hrs:13346
Engines: 3 General Electric CF6-50C2
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 14
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 220
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 234
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Repaired
Location:Newark International Airport, NJ (EWR) (   United States of America)
Phase: Takeoff (TOF)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Newark International Airport, NJ (EWR/KEWR), United States of America
Destination airport:Brussel-Zaventem Airport (BRU/EBBR), Belgium
Flightnumber:CO60
Narrative:
A McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30, N39081, operating as Continental Airlines flight 60, was substantially damaged when an uncontained engine event occurred during takeoff from Newark International Airport (EWR), New Jersey. The 3-man cockpit crew, 11-person cabin crew, and 220 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. An instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight, between Newark and Brussels Airport (BRU), Belgium.
Startup and taxi were normal, and during the taxi, the captain again briefed the cockpit crew, and included engine failures, as well as "non-reject" situations. The airplane lined up on runway 04L, and the captain applied takeoff power slowly and smoothly. At takeoff decision speed (V1), there was a loud explosion. A white "engine fail" light illuminated in front of the captain, and the number 1 engine N1 decreased by 30 percent. Number 2 and number 3 engines appeared normal.
The captain continued the takeoff, and the landing gear was raised. A red, left main landing gear warning light illuminated on the front panel. The airplane turned to a heading of 010, and slowly climbed to 3,000 feet. During the climb, an airframe vibration developed.
After level-off, the crew began to troubleshoot the emergency, and found that when the number 3 engine N1 was reduced, the vibration disappeared. Both the number 1 and the number 3 engines remained at reduced power, in relation to number 2, for the rest of the flight.
Air traffic control personnel provided vectors for a return to Newark. During the return, the crew dumped about 90,000 pounds of fuel. The crew also ran both 1-engine, and 2-engine inoperative checklists, and prepared data cards for both scenarios.
The captain flew the ILS glideslope down to a full-stop landing, on runway 04R at 20:16. After stopping on the runway, the brakes would not release, so the crew shut down the engines, and the passengers and crew disembarked through the normal deplaning doors. The airplane was later towed to a ramp.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Stress rupture of the 2nd-stage low pressure turbine anti-rotation nozzle locks, resulting from inadequate nozzle lock design."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 8 months
Accident number: NYC00FA122
Download report: Summary report

Classification:
Uncontained engine failure
Runway mishap

Sources:
» NTSB


Photos

Add your photo of this accident or aircraft

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Newark International Airport, NJ to Brussel-Zaventem Airport as the crow flies is 5867 km (3667 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
languages: languages

Share

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org