Boeing 767-222 incident near Lafayette, Indiana, June 7, 2000
On June 7, 2000 at about 5:36 pm local time, a Boeing 767-222, registered N603UA, was involved in an incident near Lafayette, Indiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 165 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The blocked drain lines in the canted pressure deck and the frozen aileron cable.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2000 · about 5:36 pm local time
- Place
- Lafayette, Indiana · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 165 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-222 · all 767-222s on the register
- Registration
- N603UA · no longer on the register · serial 21864
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain said that while in cruise flight, "...the center autopilot made an uncommanded disconnect." He said that he took control of the aircraft and found that the rudder and elevator systems appeared to be functioning normally but "...the control wheel was jammed in the straight and level position." He said that approximately 15 pounds of force was applied in order to free the control wheel. The flight was diverted and an uneventful landing was made. A postaccident examination revealed that the wheel well canted pressure deck drain lines were obstructed by debris. A Boeing service bulletin was found that recommends changes to the drain system to "...help ensure that fluid entering the canted pressure deck area will be drained out of the airplane and not leak into the wheel well area where it could freeze on the aileron control cables..." The aircraft arrived at JFK on June 6, 2000 at 1956 eastern daylight time. Weather reports for the JFK airport show rain during the night of June 6, 2000 and during the morning of June 7, 2000.
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 engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,110 hours in all; 3,558 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 61,647 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 29, 2000; 370 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 320,000 lb
- Seats: 177
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-7R4D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFK New York NY at 3:30 pm
- Destination: SFO San Francisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 167°F (75°C), dew point 122°F (50°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 11 | |||
| Passengers | 154 |
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.