Summary
On December 20, 1997, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80 (N932AS) was involved in an incident near San Francisco, CA. All 75 people aboard were uninjured.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: An emergency evacuation due to fumes from a failed hydraulic line that entered into the cabin.
On December 19, 1997, at 1815 hours Pacific standard time, the crew of an Alaska Airlines MD-80, N932AS, operating as Flight 536 from Palm Springs, California, to San Francisco, California, under 14 CFR Part 121, ordered an emergency evacuation after experiencing noxious fumes entering the aircraft. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. There was no damage to the aircraft and no injuries to the 5 crewmembers or to the 69 passengers.
According to the operator, the aircraft was taxiing to the gate after landing when fumes and mist began to enter the cabin through the air conditioning ducts. Although first noted as thin, the vapors quickly filled the cabin, reducing visibility, and causing respiratory distress along with burning eyes to crew and passengers.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX98IA061. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N932AS.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
An emergency evacuation due to fumes from a failed hydraulic line that entered into the cabin.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On December 19, 1997, at 1815 hours Pacific standard time, the crew of an Alaska Airlines MD-80, N932AS, operating as Flight 536 from Palm Springs, California, to San Francisco, California, under 14 CFR Part 121, ordered an emergency evacuation after experiencing noxious fumes entering the aircraft. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. There was no damage to the aircraft and no injuries to the 5 crewmembers or to the 69 passengers.
According to the operator, the aircraft was taxiing to the gate after landing when fumes and mist began to enter the cabin through the air conditioning ducts. Although first noted as thin, the vapors quickly filled the cabin, reducing visibility, and causing respiratory distress along with burning eyes to crew and passengers. The crew elected to stop the aircraft on the taxiway near the intersection of "A" and "H" taxiways. The captain ordered an immediate evacuation over the aircraft's public address system. The crew estimated the evacuation was accomplished within 90 seconds.
After the evacuation, the flight attendants commented on having to divest passengers of carry-on baggage during the evacuation. A concern was that the baggage taken from the passengers could block the path to the exit(s). All flight attendants commented on how useful they found their flashlights to be. All retrieved their flashlights before proceeding to the exits and found them to be invaluable during the evacuation, as well as on the ground.
Subsequent investigation revealed the source of the vapors as a failed hydraulic return line from the left-hand engine thrust reverser. Leaking fluid from the line was ingested into the aircraft's APU that had been started by the flight crew after landing in accordance with normal procedures.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX98IA061