Boeing B-737-200 incident near Springfield, Missouri, November 18, 1994
On November 18, 1994 at about 1:06 pm local time, a Boeing B-737-200, registered N988UA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Springfield, Missouri (Sringfield). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 57 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF EITHER THE INBOARD OR THE OUTBOARD WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 1994 · about 1:06 pm local time
- Place
- Springfield, Missouri · Sringfield
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 57 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B-737-200 B737-200
- Registration
- N988UA · no longer on the register · serial 73721750
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE LEFT OUTBOARD MAIN WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE AXLE. SIX RECOVERED ROLLER BEARINGS HAD SEVERELY DAMAGED ROLLING SURFACES; HOWEVER, ALL THE ROLLER ENDS WERE RELATIVELY FREE OF SCUFFING DAMAGE, WHICH INDICATED ADEQUATE LUBRICATION AND BEARING AXLE PRELOAD. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF DEFECTS IN THE KEYWAY. THE LEFT HAND AXLE OUTBOARD END HAD SEVERE RESULTANT DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH A PRIMARY OUTBOARD WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. THE MODE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE AXLE NUT WASHER AND LOCK RING WERE NEVER RECOVERED; HOWEVER, THERE IS PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT THEY WERE INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
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, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,338 hours in all; 542 in this make and model; 5,338 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 42,144 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 5, 1993; 2,215 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 117,000 lb
- Seats: 107
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGF MO at 1:06 pm
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 2, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from SGF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 52 |
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.