Boeing 727-225A incident near Kenner, Louisiana, October 3, 1982
On October 3, 1982 at about 6:06 pm local time, a Boeing 727-225A, registered N817EA, was involved in an incident near Kenner, Louisiana (Moisant airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 112 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. 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 3, 1982 · about 6:06 pm local time
- Place
- Kenner, Louisiana · Moisant · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 112 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-225A · all 727-225As on the register
- Registration
- N817EA · registry record · serial 22554
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT DEPARTED WITH A TAIL WIND WHICH EXCEEDED THE ALLOWABLE COMPONENT. ROTATION WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE OCCURRED AT THE DEPARTURE THRESHOLD. THE ACFT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE AT 25 TO 30 FT AGL WHEN IT WAS 1330 FT BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THERUNWAY. TWO PERSONS IN A PARKING LOT WERE KNOCKED TO THE GROUND.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 172,700 lb
- Seats: 170
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eastern Airlines INC.
The flight
- Destination: CUN Cancun
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from MSY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 105 |
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.