Serious incident Boeing 727-131 N839TW, Saturday 2 November 1991
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Date:Saturday 2 November 1991
Time:11:17 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic B721 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing 727-131
Owner/operator:Private Jet Expeditions
Registration: N839TW
MSN: 18904/152
Engine model:P&W JT8D
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 118
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Minor
Category:Serious incident
Location:Gulf Of Mexico, -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Newark, NJ (KEWR)
Destination airport:Cancun, OF (MMUN)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
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.

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.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: MIA92IA020
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 6 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB MIA92IA020

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
19-Mar-2024 13:29 ASN Update Bot Added

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