Boeing 727-2M7 accident near El Paso, Texas, August 31, 2004
On August 31, 2004 at about 1:05 am local time, a Boeing 727-2M7, registered N742RW, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas (El Paso Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 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
The first officer's failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing factors were the captain's delayed remedial action and the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2004 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · El Paso Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-2M7 · all 727-2M7s on the register
- Registration
- N742RW · no longer on the register · serial 21952
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 950-hour first officer was at the airplanes controls during the approach and initial touchdown of the airplane to runway 4 (a 12,010 foot long by 150 foot wide asphalt runway). The right wing dragged the runway while the airplane was on a heading of 050 degrees and in a 19-degree right wingtip low bank angle. A left correction was initiated and the airplane then rolled to a left wing low angle of 13 degrees and overshot the runway centerline back to the left. During the correction back to the right, the airplane bounced "hard" with the main landing gear touching down on the runway 2,150 feet beyond where the right wing dragged the ground. The 5,000-hour captain then took over the controls and completed a "safe" landing. The wind at the time of the accident was from 140 degrees at 07 knots.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 16, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight Engineer
- Certificate: flight engineer
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51,251 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 22, 2002; 1,763 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 194,800 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Custom Air Transport INC
The flight
- Departed from: MCU Chihuahua
- Destination: ELP El Paso TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 04, 12,010 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
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.