Boeing 727-30C incident near Chicago, Illinois, June 14, 1996
On June 14, 1996 at about 6:18 am local time, a Boeing 727-30C, registered N906UP, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare Intl. airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
low pressure in the fuel lines caused when the crossfeed valve was closed and the boost pumps to the effected fuel tank were turned off, a fuel pressure surge (spike) accompanied by a rapid drop in high pressure pump output and burner line pressures, when boosted fuel was reintroduced to the system, which resulted in temporary fuel starvation to the three engines, and the inadequate aircraft/equipment design by production personnel (STC holder). A factor which contributed to this incident was the flight engineer's management of the fuel system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1996 · about 6:18 am local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare Intl.
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-30C · all 727-30Cs on the register
- Registration
- N906UP · no longer on the register · serial 19314
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a total loss of power on all three engines, and a subsequent loss of electrical generating power, during an en route descent in preparation for landing at Greater Rockford Airport, Rockford, Illinois. The crew declared an emergency and diverted to Chicago, Illinois. A landing was made at Chicago O'Hare International Airport with all engines operating and electrical generating power restored. The investigation revealed that the airplane was modified by Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to replace the original Pratt and Whitney engines with Rolls Royce Model TAY engines, but using the original fuel system. The original system was subject to fuel surges which were acceptable to the original installation. With the TAY engine configuration, when the airplane's fuel system is configured with one engine operating in suction feed, air and vapor evolve from the fuel in the engine and airplane fuel systems, and accumulates at the fuel system high points. When boosted fuel is restored to the system, the boosted fuel flow rate moves toward the high end of the boost pump output capacity, causing a rapid filling and recompression of the air and vapor areas with a resulting high flow velocity. The fuel is then decelerated to 'engine demand flow rate' as it reaches the engine high-pressure fuel pump. This change in the velocity of the fuel flow causes a 'pressure spike' which is first observed at the inlet to the engine high-pressure fuel pump. The formation of the pressure spike is accompanied by a rapid drop in engine high-pressure fuel pump output and fuel burner line pressures leading to a collapse in engine combustor discharge pressure and engine flameout. The formed pressure spike travels from the first engine back through the airplane's fuel system into the other exposed engines causing these engines to flameout in a similar manner. The elapsed time at which the pressure spike travels back through the fuel system to the other engines is just under one second.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,121 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 5,842 as pilot in command; 1,172 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 13, 1996; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce TAY 651-54 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDF Louisville KY at 5:17 am
- Destination: RFD Rockford IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32R, 10,003 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 am from KOR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.