Boeing 727 accident near Covington, Kentucky, May 17, 1984
On May 17, 1984 at about 9:23 pm local time, a Boeing 727, registered N723RW, was involved in an accident near Covington, Kentucky (Greater Cincinnati Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 12 people had minor injuries; 125 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 1984 · about 9:23 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Kentucky · Greater Cincinnati Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 12 people had minor injuries; 125 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727 · all 727s on the register
- Registration
- N723RW · no longer on the register · serial 21202
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LEVELING AT FL330, THE #2 ENG FIRE WARNING LIGHT & BELL ACTIVATED. THE CREW FOLLOWED THE PUBLISHED PROCEDURES, SHUT DOWN THE ENG & USED A FIRE BOTTLE. THEY THEN DIVERTED TO CINCINNATI & MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. AFTER LANDING, FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL MONITORED THE ACFT & RADIOED INFO TO GROUND CONTROL. IN TURN, GROUND CONTROL RELAYED INFO TO THE CREW WHILE TAXIING. FIRE TRUCK PERSONNEL REPORTED SEEING A 'SMALL AMOUNT' OF SMOKE FROM THE #1 ENG. GROUND CONTROL RELAYED THE INFO WITHOUT THE WORDS 'SMALL AMOUNT.' SUBEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS STOPPED & WAS EVACUATED USING THE ESCAPE SLIDES. 1 PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN A SLIDE BURST. THERE WAS EVIDENCE IT WAS PUNCTURED BY A SHOE NAIL AFTER THE SHOE'S HEEL CAME OFF. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WAS A FALSE FIRE WARNING INDICATION DUE TO A SHORTED FIRE DETECTOR. THE FLT ATTENDANTS (F/A) WERE NOT PROPERLY BRIEFED. 1 F/A UNHOOKED A GIRT BAR BEFORE OPENING EXIT 4R, RENDERING IT UNUSABLE. SOME PASSENGERS TRIED TO EXIT WITH CARRY-ON BAGGAGE. THE REAR STAIR EXIT WAS NOT USED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,730 hours in all; 350 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,756 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 145
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-17R (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BNA Nashville TN at 8:10 pm
- Destination: DTW Detroit MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:48 pm from CVG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 12 | 118 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.