Boeing 727-224 accident near Tegucigalpa, Ho, October 21, 1989
On October 21, 1989 at about 8:53 am local time, a Boeing 727-224, registered N88705, was destroyed in an accident near Tegucigalpa (Toncontin Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 131 people were killed, 14 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 1989 · about 8:53 am local time
- Place
- Tegucigalpa, HO · Toncontin Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 131 people were killed, 14 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-224 · all 727-224s on the register
- Registration
- N88705 · no longer on the register · serial 19514
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 146
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Managua,Nicerag OF at 8:25 am
- Destination: TGU Tegucigalpa,Hon OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 025° at 40 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Observation at 8:00 am from TGU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Passengers | 127 | 11 |
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.