What happened
During the takeoff roll, a slat disagree light illuminated and the takeoff warning horn activated once the aircraft reached 166 knots (V1). In response to these indications, the pilot initiated an aborted takeoff. Despite the attempt to stop, the aircraft's ground speed continued to increase, reaching 178 knots before deceleration began. While the initial braking appeared standard, a sudden loss of deceleration occurred once the airspeed dropped to 130 knots.
The aircraft eventually exited the runway at 95 knots, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear. The vessel traveled approximately 1,100 feet past the end of the runway. During the event, eight of the ten brake sets failed to function as intended. All 254 occupants were successfully evacuated from the aircraft; however, the incident resulted in eight injuries, two of which were classified as serious. The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
Investigations into the braking failure revealed that the primary issue was related to excessive wear on the brake components. Post-accident examinations showed that the worn brakes experienced an accelerated rate of degradation during the rejected takeoff procedure. It was noted that testing indicated that worn brakes on the DC-10 exhibit a significantly higher wear rate during high-speed aborts compared to new brakes.
Contributing factors included a false indication within the wing slat system which prompted the aborted takeoff. Additionally, the investigation identified that the aircraft's normal brake system was inadequate due to the worn condition of the components. The findings also highlighted deficiencies in the manufacturer's substantiation process and the lack of conservative replacement limits for worn brakes, as the manufacturer had relied on data from tests using new brakes rather than accounting for the wear rates observed in older units.