Boeing 727-227 incident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, April 16, 1985
On April 16, 1985 at about 6:37 pm local time, a Boeing 727-227, registered N718AA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Las Cruces, New Mexico (Las Cruces airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 89 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
- April 16, 1985 · about 6:37 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · Las Cruces · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 89 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-227 · all 727-227s on the register
- Registration
- N718AA · no longer on the register · serial 20611
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING AT FLT LEVEL 350 IN CLEAR SMOOTH AIR, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD, ACCOMPANIED BY A SEVERE JOLT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CABIN, AS THE NUMBER 3 END SEPARATED FROM ITS MOUNTS. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE FORWARD LAVATORY WAS LEAKING DEODORANT FLUID AND WATER. DEODORANT STAINS EXISTED ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE, & WERE SUBSEQUENTLY IDENTIFIED ON THE NUMBER 3 ENGINE NOSE COWL & INLET NOSE CONE. ALL BUT 6 OF THE FIRST STAGE FAN BLADES WERE RECOVERED AT THE ENG IMPACT SITE, & THESE 6 BLADES WERE LOCATED WITHIN A 180 DEGREE SEGMENT OF THE FAN. LEAKAGE OF THE LAVATORY WASTE DRAIN VALVE WAS THE RESULT OF A DAMAGED 'O' RING SEAL. LEAKAGE OF THE DUMP VALVE WAS THE RESULT OF DISBONDING OF A RUBBER BOOT ON ITS SHAFT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,470 hours in all; 6,762 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 36,704 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 15, 1985; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 178,000 lb
- Seats: 162
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas-Ft Worth TX at 5:25 pm
- Destination: SAN San Diego CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from DMN, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 | |||
| Passengers | 81 |
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.