Boeing 747-123 incident near Miami, Florida, January 27, 1986
On January 27, 1986 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Boeing 747-123, registered N9674, was involved in an incident near Miami, Florida (Maimi Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 16 people had minor injuries; 224 others were unhurt. 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
- January 27, 1986 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Maimi Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 16 people had minor injuries; 224 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-123 · all 747-123s on the register
- Registration
- N9674 · no longer on the register · serial 20326
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE THE CREW NOTED SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND THE COCKPIT. THE CAPTAIN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED BACK AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. HE THEN DIRECTED AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION. DURING THE EVACUATION SEVERAL EMERGENCY SLIDES FAILED TO DEPLOY AND SEVERAL PASSENGERS RECEIVED INJURIES. THE SLIDES FAILED DUE TO IMPROPER PACKING, MAINTENANCE, AND IMPROPER PARTS. THE SMOKE THAT WAS OBSERVED CAME FROM THE #4 ENGINE #3 BEARING LABYRINTH SEAL THAT LEAKED DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE EVC CONTROLLER.
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: 10,700 hours in all; 3,471 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 43,473 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 17, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 710,000 lb
- Seats: 450
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9-D-7A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIA Miami FL at 7:35 pm
- Destination: CCS Caracas OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9R, 13,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from MIA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | 11 | ||
| Passengers | 12 | 213 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9674 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.