Tailcone Evacuation Slide Inflated During Flight
The NTSB has released its factual report on an incident
involving then-Presidential-candidate Barack Obama's campaign plane
last summer. The MD-81's tail cone evacuation slide inflated during
flight, and the plane made a successful emergency landing in St.
Louis.
NTSB Identification: CHI08IA182
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of Midwest
Airlines, Inc.
Incident occurred Monday, July 07, 2008 in St. Louis, MO
Aircraft: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-81, registration: N804ME
Injuries: 51 Uninjured.
On July 7, 2008, at approximately 0845 central daylight time, a
McDonnell Douglas MD-81, N804ME, operated as Midwest Airlines
Flight 8663, experienced a tailcone evacuation slide inflation
shortly after takeoff from Chicago Midway International Airport
(KMDW), Chicago, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions
prevailed at the time of the event. The charter flight was
operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) Part 121 on an instrument flight plan. There were no injuries
to the 2 flight crew members, 4 flight attendants, 2 airline
representatives, and 43 passengers. The flight was en route to
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (KCLT), Charlotte, North
Carolina, when the evacuation slide inflated. The airplane diverted
to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (KSTL), St. Louis,
Missouri, and made an uneventful landing at 0930.
Flight crew statements indicated that they did not hear the
slide inflate in flight, nor did an airline mechanic who was seated
in the rear of the airplane. The captain reported that after
liftoff the airplane's pitch continued to increase without a
corresponding flight control input. The airplane's pitch reached
20-25 degrees nose up before he regained control using control
column and stabilizer pitch trim inputs. The flight crew noted that
the pitch control pressure required to level the airplane was
"higher than normal."
After the incident, the flight crew
consulted with the airline's maintenance staff, in addition to
completing the abnormal checklist procedures. The corrective
actions taken by the flight crew were ineffective in reducing or
eliminating the restriction in the pitch control system.
Consequently, they elected to divert to KSTL instead of continuing
to KCLT. The captain noted that normal flight control pressures
returned during cruise descent, as the airplane passed through
15,000 feet mean sea level (msl). According to the fight crew, no
additional flight control restrictions or anomalies were
encountered during the remainder of the flight.