Boeing 757-222 N581UA
16 October 1997 · Seattle, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 16 October 1997 at about 15:30 local time, a Boeing 757-222 registered N581UA was involved in an incident near Seattle, Washington, United States. 196 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 15:30
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Seattle, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 47.4409, -122.3106
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-222
- Registration
- N581UA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Denver
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW98IA019
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 196 |
Probable cause
Maintenance personnel's failure to properly secure the left off-wing slide door after routine slide replacement, allowing an inflight separation of the slide. Factors were inadequate training of maintenance personnel and inadequate written instructions by the airplane manufacturer.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
As the airplane was rotated for liftoff from Seattle, the captain noticed that the EICAS (engine indication and crew alerting system) 'EMERGENCY DOOR' light had illuminated. According to the Airplane Fight Manual, if pressurization is normal (and it was), the crew need not take further action. During the descent for landing, a flight attendant said she heard a loud noise from the left side of the airplane. The airplane landed uneventfully at Denver. Inspection disclosed the left off-wing slide had separated from the airplane, causing minor damage to the access door, flap, and fuselage skin. The slide had been routinely replaced the previous evening by a mechanic using a flashlight and referencing the airplane maintenance manuals. After installing the slide, the mechanic closed the panel and placed the actuator handle in the horizontal position (as per instructions placarded on the maintenance access door). He said he had never received any training for installing the off-wing slide. There have been four similar incidents since the airplane entered commercial service, prompting the manufacturer to issue Service Bulletin (S.B.) 757-25-0182.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Boeing 757 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Mar 1997 | Boeing 757-2S7 | Denver, Colorado, United States | America West Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 1997 | Boeing 757-223 | Dickinson, North Dakota, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 1997 | Boeing 757-200 | Lima, Peru | Continental Airlines | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 Mar 1997 | Boeing 757-2Q8 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Dec 1997 | Boeing 757 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Transavia Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 1997 | Boeing 757-232 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Stuart Island, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 1997 | Aero Commander 690A | Yakima, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 19 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-28-151 | Vashon, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Battle Ground, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Dec 1997 | Aero Commander 112 | Kettle Falls, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 10 Dec 1997 | Cessna 150J | Silverdale, Washington, United States | Alternate Air Flying Club | No injuries | - |