Boeing 707-123B incident near Oakland, California, December 29, 1983
On December 29, 1983 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Boeing 707-123B, registered N2773, suffered minor damage in an incident near Oakland, California (Metropolitan Oakland Int' airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 165 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
- December 29, 1983 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Oakland, California · Metropolitan Oakland Int'
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 165 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 707-123B · all 707-123Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2773 · no longer on the register · serial 19339
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT EXPERIENCED A STRONG SHIMMY & VIBRATION ON TAKEOFF WHICH WAS ATTRIBUTED TO DEEP RUTS IN THE SNOW. AFTER LANDINGON DECELERATION THE VIBRATION BECAME SO SEVERE THAT THE PLT STOPPED ON THE RWY CENTERLINE & ORDERED AN EVACUATION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE NOSE GEAR TOWING & STEERING CONNECTING LINK WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE NOSE STEERING COLLAR WITH THE STEERING QUICK RELEASE PIN INSTALLED IN THE DISCONNECTED LINK PREVENTING CONTINUITY BETWEEN COCKPIT STEERING & THE NOSE WHEELS WHICH WERE ALLOWED FREE PLAY.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,758 hours in all; 175 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44,176 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 28, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 258,000 lb
- Seats: 177
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3D-1MC6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Trans Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: IND Indianapolis IN at 1:45 pm
- Destination: OAK Oakland CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Observation at 5:45 pm from OAK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 158 |
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.