Boeing 727-2K5 incident near Dfw Airport, Texas, March 10, 1997
On March 10, 1997 at about 7:21 pm local time, a Boeing 727-2K5, registered N909PG, suffered minor damage in an incident near Dfw Airport, Texas (Dfw International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the outer bearing for undetermined reason(s).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1997 · about 7:21 pm local time
- Place
- Dfw Airport, Texas · Dfw International
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-2K5 · all 727-2K5s on the register
- Registration
- N909PG · registry record · serial 21853
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The right hand inboard main landing gear wheel assembly departed the aircraft during the takeoff roll. The crew returned the aircraft to the departure airport and the flight landed without further incident. Visual examination revealed that the outer cone-bearing seized. The bearing race, retainer ring, and axle were damaged and the inner ring of the outer wheel bearing exhibited deformation, rubbing, cracking, and galling. None of the bearing rollers were recovered. Metallurgical examination disclosed that the inner wheel bearing migrated approximately 1.5 inches in the inboard direction. The outer bearing ring showed rub damage on the circumference of the inner and outer diameter and the bearing cage. The bolt that locked the wheel retaining nut was fractured; however, it could not be determined if the fracture of the bolt contributed to or was the result of the bearing damage. The inner ring of the outer wheel bearing displayed heat damage and localized melting. The damage of the inner ring 'appeared to be more consistent with bearing deterioration caused by inadequate or loss of preloading rather than a bearing seizure event.'
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 3,727 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40,423 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 17, 1907; 2,585 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 197,700 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-17 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DFW at 6:21 pm
- Destination: MEX Mexico City OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36R, 11,387 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 |
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.