Boeing 737-130 incident near Indianapolis, Indiana, July 6, 1988
On July 6, 1988 at about 11:25 pm local time, a Boeing 737-130, registered N409PE, was involved in an incident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 36 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE TO ENSURE PROPER ALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE OF THE AUXILLARY POWER UNIT LOWER SHROUD WITH THE FIRE SEAL UPON COMPLETION OF A MAINTENANCE ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1988 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Indianapolis Int'L · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 36 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-130 · all 737-130s on the register
- Registration
- N409PE · no longer on the register · serial 19026
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SCHEDULED AIR CARRIER EXPERIENCED APU FIRE WARNING WHEN APU START WAS ATTEMPTED DURING APPROACH DESCENT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT EGT TEMPERATURE PROBE WIRING HARNESS WAS PINCHED BETWEEN FIRE SEAL AND LOWER APU SHROUD. FIRE SEAL COMPROMISE ALLOWED POOLED FUEL TO ENTER LOWER APU AREA AND CAUSE LOCALIZED FIRE ON DELAYED IGNITION.
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; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 100,800 lb
- Seats: 100
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-17 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLE Cleveland OH at 10:50 pm
- Destination: IND Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22R, 10,005 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 30 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N409PE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.