Boeing 707-131B N6728

Summary

On 8 March 1982 at about 22:45 local time, a Boeing 707-131B registered N6728, operated by Trans World Airlines Inc, was involved in an incident near Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The number of people on board was not recorded. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

8 March 1982 at 22:45

Classification

Incident

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

McCarran Internatl (LAS)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Boeing 707-131B

Registration

N6728

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

Trans World Airlines Inc

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Vegas → St. Louis

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MKC82IA042

Injuries not recorded.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THERE WAS NO INTENT TO FLY. ON 3-8-82, A BOEING 707-131, OWNED AND OPERATED BY TWA, WAS RECEIVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IN LAS VEGAS, NV. DURING THE CHECK, THE SERVICING VALVE ON THE FORWARD WATER TANK WOULD NOT OPEN. A TWA MECHANIC ENTERED THE FORWARD ELECTRONICS BAY TO CHECK THE VALVE CONTROL MECHANISM WHILE THE LEAD MECHANIC OPERATED THE VALVE FROM OUTSIDE. THE VALVE OPERATED NORMALLY AND THE LEAD MECHANIC YELLED "IT'S OK". A SHORT TIME LATER, ANOTHER MECHANIC LOOKED IN THE COMPARTMENT, DID NOT SEE ANYONE AND SECURED THE HATCH. THE MECHANIC'S ABSENCE WAS NOT NOTED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. ON 3-9-82, THE AIRPLANE FLEW TO ST. LOUIS, MO WHERE THE MECHANICS BODY WAS DISCOVERED AFTER SEARCH WAS INITIATED BY THE LAS VEGAS STATION MANAGER. AN AUTOPSY REVEALED THAT THE MECHANIC WAS ELECTROCUTED WHEN HE CAME IN CONTACT WITH SEVERAL 115 VOLT RELAYS IN THE ELECTRONICS COMPARTMENT. INJURIES FOUND DURING AUTOPSY INDICATE THAT THE MECHANIC SLIPPED AND STRUCK HIS HEAD AND FELL ON THE RELAYS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.