Boeing B737-448 incident near Miami, Florida, May 8, 2002
On May 8, 2002 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Boeing B737-448, registered EIBXI, suffered minor damage in an incident near Miami, Florida. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 160 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate maintenance by company maintenance personnel and failure to comply with manufacturer recommended maintence procedures (SB 737-55A1070R1), which resulted in an inflight inseparation of a section of the airplane's right hand elevator control tab. A factor in the incident was the flight crew's continued operation of the airplane with a known deficiency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2002 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 160 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B737-448
- Registration
- EIBXI · no longer on the register · serial 25052
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the aircraft had been performing normally during the flight to Jamaica, West Indies, except for with a slight vibration during the initial flight. During the return leg to Chicago, Illinois, the captain he said that the airplane started vibrating " ten times as bad", so he diverted to, and affected an otherwise uneventful landing, in Miami, Florida. He added that the vibration had continued throughout the flight, until "flaps five" was set during the approach, at which time the vibration stopped. After landing, examination of the airplane showed that about a 24-inch section of the right elevator trim tab had been missing from the aircraft. In addition to the examination of the elevator, the remaining parts adjacent to the separated tab to include two control rods with rod ends, one hinge fitting from the right hand elevator rear spar were removed and examined. The examination revealed the presence of fractures, wear marks to the control rod, as well as post fracture damage to the rods. In addition, the hinge fitting had also incurred fractures as well as severe post fracture rubbing to the lugs, and worn areas between the hinge lugs and the inboard and outboard surfaces of unfractured lugs. On the elevator, rubbing was noted in areas on the aft face and lower skin panels of the elevator rear spar. In addition, the rear spar reinforcing angle and elevator tab control rod inner fairing and external mast fitting had incurred also damage. Boeing reports documenting examinations of the remaining damaged portions of elevator and tab assembly have been included with this report. Pertinent maintenance records were not obtained from Ryan International Airlines or Aer Lingus PLC, and there was no evidence of compliance with Boeing's system maintenance program (SB 737-55A1070R1), pertinent to "freeplay" checks.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,916 hours in all; 660 in this make and model; 199 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 3, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,860 hours in all; 605 in this make and model; 146 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 182 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,400 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 14, 2001; 787 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 150,000 lb
- Seats: 178
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm International CFM563B-2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfe Company CFM563B-2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ryan Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: MKJS Montego Bay at 6:35 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from MIA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 154 |
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.