Boeing 727-31 N727PJ

Summary

On 9 December 1989 at about 03:10 local time, a Boeing 727-31 registered N727PJ was involved in an accident near Newark, New Jersey, United States. 7 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 December 1989 at 03:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Newark, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Newark (EWR)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Boeing 727-31

Registration

N727PJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wichita, → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC90FA038

Nobody was injured.

THERMAL DISTRESS OF THE FIRST STAGE TURBINE BLADES OF THE NUBER ONE ENGINE CAUSING A DEGRADATION OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES WHICH RESULTED IN BLADE FRACTURES. THE REASON FOR THE THERMAL DISTRESS WAS NOT DETERMINED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AT FLIGHT LEVEL 370 THE CREW HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION-TYPE NOISE. THE #1 ENGINE SHOWED A POWER LOSS, AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE CREW SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN, AND AN UNEVENTFUL 2-ENGINE LANDING WAS MADE AT NEWARK. AN ENGINE TURBINE BLADE WAS FOUND LODGED IN THE AIRPLANE'S VERTICAL STABILIZER. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN SHOWED THERMAL DISTRESS TO THE FIRST STAGE TURBINE BLADES CAUSING A DEGRADATION OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES RESULTING IN BLADE FRACTURES. THE CAUSE OF THE THERMAL DISTRESS WAS NOT DETERMINED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.