Boeing 747-123 incident near Louisville, Kentucky, March 19, 1992
On March 19, 1992 at about 5:50 am local time, a Boeing 747-123, registered N681UP, suffered minor damage in an incident near Louisville, Kentucky (Standiford Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE OBSTACLE CLEARANCE, WHICH RESULTED IN ON GROUND COLLISION WITH A BLAST FENCE. CONTRIBUTING WAS INADEQUATE INSTRUCTION FROM GROUND PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1992 · about 5:50 am local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Standiford Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-123 · all 747-123s on the register
- Registration
- N681UP · no longer on the register · serial 19661
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE SOUTH RAMP, TAXIING FROM LANDING, WHEN THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK A BLAST FENCE. THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS OF THE GROUND MARSHALLERS AT THE TIME. HE REPORTED THAT HE WAS TAXIING AT ABOUT 4 KNOTS, WHEN THE MARSHALLER SIGNALED HIM TO TURN LEFT. THE PILOT MADE A HARD LEFT TURN, AND THREE QUARTERS INTO THE TURN, HE FELT THE NOSEWHEEL JITTER. HE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE AND NOTICED THE MARSHALL SIGNALLING HIM TO STOP.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 734,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-7A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 5:27 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from LOU, 999 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 |
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.