Boeing 727-227 N555PE
14 November 1988 · Boston, Massachusetts, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 November 1988 at about 01:12 local time, a Boeing 727-227 registered N555PE was involved in an incident near Boston, Massachusetts, United States. 144 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:12
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Nearest airport
- Boston (BOS)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-227
- Registration
- N555PE
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 3
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Flushing
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- NYC89IA028
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 144 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 144 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE LOCAL CONTROLLER TO DETECT THE RED T ON THE DEPARTURE STRIP ON PRE659 WHEN HE CLEARED HIM INTO POSITION AND HOLD. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE LACK OF POSITIVE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE GROUND CONTROLLER AND LOCAL CONTROLLER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE TOWER CONTROLLER CLEARED PAN AM FLT 543 (BOEING 727, N555PE) INTO POSITION & HOLD ON RWY 22R, THEN HE CLEARED THE 727 FOR TAKEOFF. THE CONTROLLER THEN CLEARED PRECISION FLT 649 (DORNIER DO-228, N238RP) INTO POSITION & HOLD ON RUNWAY 22R. THE CONTROLLER DID NOT REALIZE THE DORNIER WAS AT AN INTERSECTION, 4200 FT DOWN THE RUNWAY, RATHER THAN AT THE APPROACH END. HE HAD FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE TAKEOFF STRIP WAS MARKED WITH A RED 'T' INDICATING AN INTERSECTION TAKEOFF. ALSO, THE GROUND CONTROLLER DID NOT ADEQUATELY COORDINATE WITH THE LOCAL CONTROLLER, WHEN HE CLEARED THE DORNIER TO TAXI TO THE INTERSECTION FOR AN INTERSECTION DEPARTURE. THE 727 FLIGHT CREW SAW THE DORNIER ON THE RUNWAY & MADE AN EARLY ROTATION, MISSING THE DORNIER. THERE WAS NO CONTACT BETWEEN AIRCRAFT OR INJURIES. THE 727 FLT CREW RETURNED FOR A LANDING TO CHECK THE ENGINES, WHICH HAD BEEN OVERBOOSTED AFTER MAXIMUM POWER WAS APPLIED TO CLEAR THE DORNIER. THE DORNIER WAS TAXIED CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY & BACK TO THE RAMP TO ASSURE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 727-227 727-227 | N555PE | - | Minor |
| Dornier DO-228-202 DO-228-202 | N238RP | Precision Valley Aviation, Inc | - |
Other Boeing 727 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 1988 | Boeing 727-100 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Connie Kallitta Services | No injuries | - |
| 17 Oct 1988 | Boeing 727-200 | St. Thomas | American Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 1988 | Boeing 727-232 | Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 14 |
| 26 Dec 1988 | Boeing 727-25 | Morgantown, West Virginia, United States | Eastern Air Lines, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 1988 | Boeing 727-232 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1988 | Boeing 727-290 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Alaska Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 1988 | Bell 47J2 | Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States | Plum Island Flying Service | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1988 | Cessna 177RG | Canton, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1988 | Bell 206B | Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 1988 | Robinson R22 | Ashburnham, Massachusetts, United States | Aviation Training Academy | No injuries | - |
| 30 Mar 1988 | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1988 | Luscombe 8A | Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |