MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC 9 33F
Bethel, AK — December 23, 2017
Event Information
| Date | December 23, 2017 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | DCA18CA056 |
| Event ID | 20171226X41907 |
| Location | Bethel, AK |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 60.80964, -161.84996 |
| Airport | Bethel |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS |
| Model | DC 9 33F |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 121 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 3 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
failure of a cargo tie-down fastener, resulting in unsecured cargo striking the pressure bulkhead.
Full Narrative
On December 23, 2017 at 1221 Alaska Standard Time (AST), a Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas DC-9, N935CE, experienced a depressurization on initial climb from the Bethel, Alaska, airport (PABE.) The flight crew returned to Bethel and landed with no further incident. There were no injuries to the two flight crew members or one cargo handler on board. The depressurization resulted from a pallet jack in the cargo compartment impacting the rear pressure bulkhead, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. Inspection revealed a tie-down fastener for the pallet jack had pulled out.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.