ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 1 N334EA Miami International Airport, FL (MIA)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Thursday 5 May 1983
Time:09:46
Type:Silhouette image of generic L101 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 1
Operator:Eastern Air Lines
Registration: N334EA
MSN: 1141
First flight: 1976
Engines: 3 Rolls-Royce RB211-22B
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 10
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 162
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 172
Aircraft damage: None
Location:Miami International Airport, FL (MIA) (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Miami International Airport, FL (MIA/KMIA), United States of America
Destination airport:Nassau International Airport (NAS/MYNN), Bahamas
Narrative:
At 08:56 Eastern Air Lines Flight 855 departed Miami International Airport en route to Nassau, Bahamas. About 09:15:15, while descending through 15,000 feet, the low oil pressure light on the TriStar's No. 2 engine illuminated. The No. 2 engine was shut down, and the captain decided to return to Miami to land. The airplane was cleared to Miami and began a climb to FL200. While en route to Miami, the low oil pressure lights for engines Nos. 1 and 3 illuminated. At 09:28:20, while at 16,000 feet, the No. 3 engine flamed out. At 09:33:20, the No. 1 engine flamed out while the flightcrew was attempting to restart the No. 2 engine. The airplane descended without power from about 13,000 feet to about 4,000 feet, at which time the No. 2 engine was restarted. The airplane made a one-engine landing at Miami International Airport at 09:46. There were no injuries to the occupants.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the omission of all the O-ring seals on the master chip detector assemblies leading to the loss of lubrication and damage to the airplane's three engines as a result of the failure of mechanics to follow the established and proper procedures for the installation of master chip detectors in the engine lubrication system, the repeated failure of supervisory personnel to require mechanics to comply strictly with the prescribed installation procedures, and the failure of Eastern Air Lines management to assess adequately the significance of similar previous occurrences and to act effectively to institute corrective action.
Contributing to the cause of the accident was the failure of Federal Aviation Administration maintenance inspectors to assess the significance of the incidents involving master chip detectors and to take effective surveillance and enforcement measures to prevent the recurrence of the incidents."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 10 months
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-84/04
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Wrong installation of parts
All engine powerloss
Forced landing on runway

Sources:
» NTSB


Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 9 Safety Recommendations

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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Miami International Airport, FL to Nassau International Airport as the crow flies is 294 km (184 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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