FTW89IA053

1989-02-21 · HOUSTON, Texas, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport IAH

Aircraft involved

N1289L McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 Minor

Probable cause & findings

THE TURBINE GUIDE VANE FAILURE.

Factual narrative

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE LEFT ENGINE FAILED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED BACK ON THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. AFTER TURNING OFF ON A TAXIWAY, THE TOWER TOLD THE CREW THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. THE CREW USED THE FIRE BOTTLE AND ORDERED AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION. ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT INITIALLY, A VANE HAD FAILED IN THE STAGE 2 TURBINE SECTION. FIRE WAS CAUSED BY BURNING ENGINE OIL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_FTW89IA053.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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