Summary of The Incredible Story Of TACA 110 - DISASTER AVERTED

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

In August of 2005, TACA flight 110 was forced to make an emergency landing after severe weather caused the engines to flame out. The plane landed safely, but it was later revealed that the design of the CFM engines was flawed. The industry gained a greater understanding of the effects of hail on an aircraft and the FAA issued an airworthiness directive in response to the incident. The plane was repaired and returned to service, eventually being retired by Southwest Airlines in 2016.

• 00:00:00 The crew of TACA Flight 110 landed their Boeing 737 on a small stretch of grass in New Orleans after encountering severe weather while flying through thunderstorms. The aircraft had just been delivered to the airline two weeks earlier.
• 00:05:00 TACA Flight 110 was supposed to be a routine flight, but suddenly encountered extreme hail and precipitation. This caused the engines to flame out, and the plane was forced to make a crash landing. Fortunately, the crew was able to put the plane down safely in a canal. Five years prior, an air Canada Boeing767 had to glide to an abandoned airfield after running out of fuel. The pilots on board that plane had used their fundamental knowledge of aviation and aerodynamics to optimally glide the plane to safety. Captain Dardenne now had to do the same with his plane.
• 00:10:00 TACA Flight 110 went off the levee and failed to land successfully, but everyone on board walked away unscathed. The investigation revealed design flaws in the CFM engines on the plane, and multiple redesigns were made on the engines following the extensive testing on the effects of rain and hail on the engine compressors. The industry also gained a greater understanding of the effects of hail on an aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an airworthiness directive which included a mandate to make the design changes to the CFM engines on the Boeing 737. For the plane that was involved in TACA Flight 110, it was actually returned to service after suffering minimal damage. The plane was flown off of the levee and was repaired at a nearby airfield before returning to service with Tucker who only flew the plane for a few months afterwards. The plane then flew from multiple other carriers before ending up in the hands of Southwest Airlines where it went on to serve a long life with the airline before retirement in 2016.