Douglas DC-8-71F incident near Miami, Florida, August 22, 1992
On August 22, 1992 at about 2:40 am local time, a Douglas DC-8-71F, registered N748UP, 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; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO ADEQUATELY LUBRICATE AND SEAL THE MAIN LANDING GEAR BOGIE BEAM SWIVEL JOINT AS REQUIRED BY MANUFACTURER AND OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. THIS ALLOWED MOISTURE TO ENTER THE SWIVEL JOINT AND CAUSE CORROSION DAMAGE WHICH CAUSED STRESS CORROSION CRACKING AND FAILURE OF THE SWIVEL JOINT LUGS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT WAS LACK OF CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN THE OPERATORS MAINTENANCE PROGRAM REGARDING LUBRICATION OF THE SWIVEL JOINT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 1992 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami International
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-8-71F · all DC-8-71Fs on the register
- Registration
- N748UP · no longer on the register · serial 45948
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BOGIE WHILE STOPPED AT THE RUNWAY AWAITING TAKEOFF CLEARANCE. POSTINCIDENT EXAMINATION INDICATED THE AFT BOGIE SWIVEL JOINT LUGS HAD FAILED DUE TO STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. THE SWIVEL JOINT DID NOT HAVE PROPER LUBRICATION WHICH KEEPS WATER OUT. THIS ALLOWED FORMATION OF CORROSION ON THE SURFACE OF THE LUGS, AND SUBSEQUENT CRACK INITIATION AT THE CORROSION PITS. OPERATOR MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED THAT THE SWIVEL JOINT BE LUBRICATED EVERY WEEKEND CHECK AND EVERY 'A' CHECK. THE WORK CARDS FOR THESE TWO INSPECTIONS CALLED OUT IN NARRATIVE FORM THE LUBRICATING OF THE BOGIE PIVOT JOINT. THE CARDS CALLED FOR THE SWIVEL JOINT TO BE LUBRICATED BY REFERENCE TO A NUMBER ON AN ILLUSTRATION. THE FAILURE OF THE SWIVEL JOINT LUGS WAS THE SUBJECT OF DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT ALL OPERATOR LETTERS IN 1976 AND 1990. THESE LETTERS STRESSED TO OPERATORS THE IMPORTANCE OF LUBRICATING THE SWIVEL JOINT TO PREVENT CORROSION FORMATION.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,100 hours in all; 8,100 in this make and model; 93 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 8,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 56,123 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 31, 1992; 327 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 325,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Snecma CFM-56-2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Parcel Service CO.
The flight
- Departed from: MIA
- Destination: SDF Louisville KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from MIA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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 N748UP 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.