NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CHI88FA110
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
FAILURE OF THE NUMBER THREE FLAP TRACK DUE TO STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS FAILURE ARE INSUFFICIENT DESIGN OF THE MEMBER AND INADEQUATE INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES TO DETECT CRACKS BEFORE THEY PROPAGATE TO A CRITICAL LENGTH.
Factual narrative
THE ACFT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO CHICAGO O'HARE INTER'L AIRPORT WHEN A STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE NUMBER THREE FLAP TRACK OCCURRED. THE ACFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, LEFT INBOARD FLAP ASSEMBLY, LEFT INBOARD SPOILERS AND SPOILER SUPPORT BEAM. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT UNCOMMANDED ROLL AND YAW, BUT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE ACFT AND EXECUTED AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. THE INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED A HISTORY OF FLAP TRACK CRACKING PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS CORROSION AND DESIGN INADEQUACY. A DESIGN CHANGE OF THE MEMBER WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN 1971 BY THE MANUFACTURER, BUT FLAP TRACKS OF THE EARLIER DESIGN WERE ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN SERVICE ON 239 AIRCRAFT. THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES AND SERVICE BULLETINS APPLICABLE TO THIS PARTICULAR STRUCTURAL MEMBER ARE NOT ADEQUATE IN METHODOLOGY AND PERIODICITY TO ENSURE CRACK DETECTION, AND DO NOT REQUIRE INSPECTION FOR THE CAUSE OF THE CRACK-CORROSION PITS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1988_CHI88FA110.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
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