Boeing 707-321B accident near Marana, Arizona, September 20, 1990
On September 20, 1990 at about 2:07 pm local time, a Boeing 707-321B, registered N320MJ, was destroyed in an accident near Marana, Arizona (Pinal Airpark airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO USE A CHECKLIST. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE FAA'S INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE OF THE OPERATION, THE FAA'S INSUFFICIENT STANDARDS/REQUIREMENTS, THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCES, AND HIS LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1990 · about 2:07 pm local time
- Place
- Marana, Arizona · Pinal Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 707-321B · all 707-321Bs on the register
- Registration
- N320MJ · no longer on the register · serial 20028
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES RPRTD 1ST ATMT TO TKOF WAS ABORTED AFTER ACFT SWERVED LEFT & RGT. ON 2ND TRY, ACFT LIFTED OFF ABT HALFWAY DWN RWY. AFTER LIFT-OFF, IT ROLLED RGT, RGT WING HIT GND & ACFT CRASHED. INV REVEALED RUDDER TRIM WAS 7.9 TO 8.3 UNITS (79% TO 83%) NOSE RGT. SIMULATOR TESTS WITH THAT SETTING RESULTED IN CONSISTENT RGT WING COLLISIONS WITH GND AFTER LIFT-OFF. CREW'S CHECKLIST REFERRED TO MECH CHECKLIST FOR CRITICAL ITEMS TO CHECK BFR TKOF. MECH CHECKLIST & 50 OF 54 FLT INST HAD BEEN REMOVED FM ACFT, LEAVING 2 AIRSPEED INDCRS, ALTIMETER & STBY GYRO HORIZON. IN 60 SIMULATED TKOFS IN THIS CONFIGURATION, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF INSUFFICIENT ATTITUDINAL REF TO RECOGNIZE ROLLING OF ACFT BFR SUFFICIENT ALT WAS ATTAINED. FAA'S DESIGNATED AIRWORTHINESS REP (DAR) HAD INSPD ACFT 3 DAYS BFR & ISSUED FERRY PERMIT. HE LACKED FAA MECH CERT & EXPERIENCE WITH LARGE ACFT. FAA ORDER 8000.62 & AC 183.33 LACKED SPEC GUIDANCE FOR SELECTION, TRNG & OVERSIGHT OF DAR ACTIVITY. ALSO, LACK OF GUIDANCE CONCERNING MIN EQUIP LIST. PLT NOT CURRENT OR MED QUALIFIED TO FLY ACFT.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,192 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 34,965 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, September 17, 1990; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 320,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3D-3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MZJ Marana AZ
- Destination: DMA Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 12, 6,280 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from DMA, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 |
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.