Accident description
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| Status: | |
| Date: | 31 MAR 1986 |
| Time: | 09:11 |
| Type: | Boeing 727-264 |
| Operator: | Mexicana |
| Registration: | XA-MEM |
| C/n / msn: | 22414/1748 |
| First flight: | 1981-05-04 (4 years 11 months) |
| Engines: | 3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17R |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 159 / Occupants: 159 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 167 / Occupants: 167 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Las Mesas (Mexico)
 |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX/MMMX), Mexico |
| Puerto Vallarta-Gustavo D. Ordaz Airport (PVR/MMPR), Mexico | |
| Flightnumber: | 940 |
Flight 940 took off from Mexico City (MEX) at 08:40 for a flight to Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Mazatlán (MZT) and Los Angeles (LAX). The left main gear brake was overheated during the take-off run. When the aircraft had reached FL310 the heat caused a tyre on the left hand main gear to explode. Fuel and hydraulic lines were ruptured and electrical cables severed resulting in a cabin decompression. An emergency was declared, but spilt fuel ignited and caused a massive fire on board. Control was lost and the aircraft crashed into a mountain in the Sierra Madre, at an elevation of 9000 feet. It was found that the tire had been serviced with air rather than nitrogen. The air, under high temperature and pressure, resulted in a chemical reaction with the tire itself. This led to a chemical explosion of the tire.
Events:
Sources:
» Kevin A. Darcy
» Lloyds List
» Violeta Hernandez
Statistics
48th loss of a Boeing 727
The worst accident involving a Boeing 727 (at the time)
The worst accident involving a Boeing 727 (currently)
The worst accident in Mexico (at the time)
The worst accident in Mexico (currently) » figures explained
The worst accident involving a Boeing 727 (at the time)
The worst accident involving a Boeing 727 (currently)
The worst accident in Mexico (at the time)
The worst accident in Mexico (currently) » figures explained
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 Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX/MMMX) to Puerto Vallarta-Gustavo D. Ordaz Airport (PVR/MMPR) as the crow flies is 656 km (410 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.
Distance from Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX/MMMX) to Puerto Vallarta-Gustavo D. Ordaz Airport (PVR/MMPR) as the crow flies is 656 km (410 miles).
