Boeing 727-247 accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 6, 1997
On July 6, 1997 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Boeing 727-247, registered N2809W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Albuquerque International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people had minor injuries; 153 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate inspection of the right main landing gear forward trunnion bearing support fitting. Factors were the failure of the right main landing gear forward trunnion bearing support fitting and the subsequent right main landing gear failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1997 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Albuquerque International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 153 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-247 · all 727-247s on the register
- Registration
- N2809W · no longer on the register · serial 20581
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Captain reported a normal flight and that the landing approach was stabilized. He stated that the wind was 'right down the runway for the landing.' As the airplane decelerated through 70 KIAS, the first officer reported hearing a 'loud bang,' and the airplane began 'listing heavily to the right and drifting to the right.' The pilots determined that the right main landing gear (MLG) had collapsed and an evacuation was ordered. The right MLG was last removed (18,188 cycles before the accident) for overhaul on April 8, 1988, and the right MLG forward trunnion bearing support fitting (FTBSF) was last ultrasonically inspected in May 1993 (7,634 cycles before the accident). A Service Bulletin, dated March 8, 1990, recommended that the MLG FTBSFs be ultrasonically inspected after 12,000 flight cycles every 6 months or 1,500 flight cycles, whichever occurred first. Operators were to continue this inspection cycle until the part was replaced or the preventative modification was done. The NTSB Materials Laboratory examined the broken right MLG FTBSF and determined that the failure was the result of stress corrosion cracking.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,325 hours in all; 4,984 in this make and model; 164 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,198 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 20, 1997; 119 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 184,200 lb
- Seats: 157
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-15A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dfw Airport TX at 9:47 pm
- Destination: ABQ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:09 pm from ABQ, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 147 |
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.