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| Date: | Friday 6 May 1994 |
| Time: | c. 20:17 LT |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 |
| Owner/operator: | British Midland |
| Registration: | G-BMAI |
| MSN: | 45713/9 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1966 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 80 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Nottingham-East Midlands Airport (EMA/EGNX) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM) |
| Nottingham-East Midlands Airport (EMA/EGNX) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was operating the return scheduled service from Amsterdam to East Midlands Airport.
Previously the aircraft had flown from East Midlands to Jersey and was delayed in Jersey whilst
engineers replaced a defective engine driven hydraulic pump on the No 1 engine. Both the Auxiliary
Power Unit (APU) and front passenger door airstairs were unserviceable but were permitted to be so
under the Minimum Equipment List.
The weather at East Midlands was fine with a light southerly wind, 15 km visibility and scattered cloud at 6,000 feet. At 2017 hrs (37 minutes after sunset) the aircraft landed on Runway 27. As the aircraft passed Hold 'C' the aerodrome controller noticed a 'shower of sparks' emanating from the rear of the aircraft. He immediately initiated emergency action and informed the aircraft crew. The commander, who had noticed a rumbling noise accompanied by vibration which he initially associated with a tyre or wheel bearing problem, brought the aircraft to a halt on the runway. The engine instruments showed no abnormalities but, as vibration was still apparent, the commander elected to shut down both engines. Because the APU was unserviceable he first made a PA to the passengers informing them that the cabin would be in darkness, illuminated only by the emergency lights, whilst the problem was being investigated.
One minute after landing the Airport Fire Service were in attendance. The fire crew chief made contact with the commander by radio on 121.6 MHz and advised him that particles of hot metal were still coming out of the No 2 (right hand) engine and that an evacuation was advisable. The commander contacted the cabin staff and ordered an evacuation using the forwards doors only. The forward passenger and service doors were fitted with manual inflatable slides which are released from their container when the door is opened. A red inflation handle, attached to the slide at floor level, has to be pulled to initiate inflation. Both slides deployed normally although both cabin crew members reported that the red inflation handles could not be seen in the ambient light conditions and that they were able to locate them only from memory.
Firemen at the scene manned the bottom of the slides to assist the evacuating passengers. Halfway
through the evacuation, an off-duty fireman, who was dressed in casual civilian clothes, shouted to the cabin crew by the exits to stop the evacuation since some mobile steps were being brought to the
aircraft. The effect of this instruction was to confuse the cabin crew who, although they did not
recognise the individual, momentarily stopped the evacuation and informed the commander of the
situation. He nevertheless ordered the evacuation to continue. Passengers and crew continued to
vacate the aircraft without injury.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f74540f0b613460006b5/DC-9-14__G-BMAI_08-94.pdf
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9278372 (Photo)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Jun-2025 11:56 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 28-Jun-2025 11:57 | Justanormalperson | Updated [Accident report, ] |
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