Boeing 727-225 N8856E

Summary

On 11 August 1985 at about 15:00 local time, a Boeing 727-225 registered N8856E, operated by Eastern Airlines, Inc., was involved in an incident near Richmond, Virginia, United States. 78 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 August 1985 at 15:00

Classification

Incident

Location

Richmond, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.5099, -77.2699

Aircraft

Boeing 727-225

Registration

N8856E

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Eastern Airlines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Newark → Fort Myers

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO85IA065

Nobody was injured.

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

THE FLT WAS IN CRUISE AT FL 350 WHEN THE CABIN CREW REPORTED A CABIN FIRE IN THE VICINITY OF SEAT 28A. SHORTLY AFTER, A LOWER AFT BODY OVERHEAT WARNING WAS RECVD. THE FLT DIVERTED TO RICHMOND, VA. DURING DESCENT, THE FLT CREW PERFORMED THE APPROPRIATE CHECKLIST AND THE LOWER AFT BODY CVHT LIGHT WENT OUT ABOUT 3 TO 4 MINS. AFTER IT ILLUMINATED. LATER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT A PAX HANDBAG THAT WAS ON THE FLOOR AGAINST THE CABIN EXHAUST OUTLET ADJACENT TO SEAT 28A WAS EXTENSIVELY FIRE DAMAGED. THE CARPET UNDER THE HANDBAG WAS UNBURNED EXCEPT FOR A SMALL PORTION LEADING TO THE CABIN AIR EXHAUST OUTLET. LOCALIZED FIRE DAMAGE WAS PRESENT BEHIND AND BELOW THE OUTLET. AMONG THE CONTENTS OF THE HANDBAG WAS A BOTTLE OF HAIRSPRAY, FOUND WITH THE CAP LOOSE. THE LABEL ON THE BOTTLE WARNED THAT THE CONTENTS WERE FLAMMABLE. ROW 28 WAS IN THE SMOKING SECTION FOR THAT FLT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.