Boeing B-727-200 incident near Miami, Florida, February 16, 1983
On February 16, 1983 at about 1:29 am local time, a Boeing B-727-200, registered N8831E, suffered minor damage in an incident near Miami, Florida (Miami International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 74 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
- February 16, 1983 · about 1:29 am local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami International
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 74 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B-727-200
- Registration
- N8831E · no longer on the register · serial 20150
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING GEAR RETRACTION AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCREW NOTED THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR (MLG) DOOR WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE LANDING GEAR CONTROL WAS CYCLED, BUT THE CONDITION WAS NOT CORRECTED. ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THE LEFT MLG WERE ALSO UNSUCCESSFUL. DURING TOWER FLY-BY'S, THE AIRCREW WERE ADVISED THAT THE NOSE & RIGHT MLG WERE DOWN; HOWEVER, THE LEFT MLG WAS ONLY PARTIALLY EXTENDED & THE LEFT MLG DOOR WAS IN AN APRX 45 DEG POSITION. SUBSEQUENTLYA WHEELS UP LANDING WAS MADE. AFTER BEING HOISTED, THE LEFT MLG WAS FOUND HANGING DOWN & WEDGED ON THE DOOR. ALL GEAR WERE EXTENDED & THE ACFT WAS TOWED FROM THE RWY. AN EXAM REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES EXCEPT THE LEFT MGL DOOR ACTUATOR MOUNTING BOLTS & A SERRATED FITTING WERE LOOSE. THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ORIGINAL PRODUCTION MLG SAFETY BAR TO PREVENT INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE DOOR & GEAR DURING EMERGENCY EXTENSION WITHOUT HYD PRESSURE. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND DOOR CLOSING PRESSURES (HYD & AIR).
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 engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,353 hours in all; 2,725 in this make and model; 143 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 38,712 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 10, 1983; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 172,700 lb
- Seats: 157
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eastern Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: PBI West Palm Beach FL at 5:57 pm
- Destination: JFK Jamaica NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9R, 13,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:29 am from MIA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 67 |
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.