Date:	Friday 20 January 1989
Time:	07:45
Type:	Boeing 737-201
Owner/operator:	Piedmont Airlines
Registration:	N242US
MSN:	22444/888
Year of manufacture:	1981
Total airframe hrs:	19420 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 33
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, repaired
Category:	Accident
Location:	Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD) -   United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD/KORD)
Destination airport:	Charlotte-Douglas Airport, NC (CLT/KCLT)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The aircraft was taking off from runway 27L when the no. 2 engine separated. It fell to the ground 800 feet past the end of the runway. The crew managed to climb to 1000 feet before they initiated a return to the airport for a safe emergency landing on runway 04R.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Previous damage to the aft cone (engine mounting) bolt, which resulted in mismatched surfaces between the bolt and isolation mount, loss of torque during cyclic loading of the mounting bolt, and subsequent fatigue failure of the bolt."

Aviation Week & Space Technology 30 Jan. 1989 (p.71)
NTSB

Date/time	Contributor	Updates