Boeing 727-31 N839TW
2 November 1991 · Gulf of Mexico · No injuries
Summary
On 2 November 1991 at about 15:17 local time, a Boeing 727-31 registered N839TW, operated by Private Jet Expeditions, was involved in an incident near Gulf of Mexico. 118 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 15:17
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Gulf of Mexico
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-31
- Registration
- N839TW
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 3
- Operator
- Private Jet Expeditions
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Newark → Cancun
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA92IA020
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 118 |
Probable cause
THE OVERFILLING OF THE FORWARD LAVATORY DURING SERVICING AND THE FAILURE TO REPLACE THE FILL/RINSE LINE CAP AFTER SERVICING BY THE GROUND SERVICE PERSONNEL WHICH RESULTED IN THE LAVATORY VENTING FLUID THROUGH THE FILL/RINSE LINE DURING FLIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ICE FORMATION AND INGESTION OF ICE INTO NUMBER THREE ENGINE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
GROUND PERSONNEL SERVICED FORWARD LAVATORY JUST BEFORE FLIGHT. FLIGHT ATTENDANT STATED FLUID WAS VISIBLE IN UPPER TOILET AREA OF FORWARD LAVATORY AFTER SERVICING INDICATING IT HAD BEEN OVERFILLED. ENROUTE NUMBER 3 ENGINE FAILED AND WAS SHUTDOWN. FLIGHT DIVERTED TO MIAMI. ON ARRIVAL A BLUE STREAK WAS FOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGINNING AT THE FORWARD LAVATORY SERVICE DOOR AND ENDING AT THE INLET TO NUMBER 3 ENGINE. THE FORWARD LAVATORY SERVICE DOOR WAS FOUND CLOSED AND THE FILL/RINSE LINE CAP WAS MISSING WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED. THE FILL/RINSE LINE CHECK VALVE WAS FOUND STUCK OPEN. WHEN A CAP WAS INSTALLED ON THE LINE NO LEAKAGE OCCURRED. THE LAVATORY DRAIN LINE DID NOT LEAK. NUMBER 3 ENGINE HAD SUSTAINED FAN DAMAGE DUE TO INGESTION OF SOFT MATTER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Boeing 727 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 May 1991 | Boeing 727-223 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | American Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 May 1991 | Boeing 727-100QC | Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States | Ryan International Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 1991 | Boeing 727-214 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Usair | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1991 | Boeing 727-254 | Buffalo, New York, United States | Trump Shuttle, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1991 | Boeing 727-251 | St. Paul, Minnesota, United States | Northwest Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 1991 | Boeing 727-223 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | American Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |