Boeing 727-225A incident near Miami, Florida, December 17, 1992
On December 17, 1992 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Boeing 727-225A, registered N804MA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Miami, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people had minor injuries; 78 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE WINDOW PANE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1992 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 78 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-225A · all 727-225As on the register
- Registration
- N804MA · registry record · serial 22435
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS INITIATING ITS DESCENT FROM FL310 WHEN THE WINDOW ADJACENT TO SEAT 29F BLEW OUT. ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR EAR INJURIES AND ONE PASSENGER'S ARM WAS SUCKED OUT OF THE WINDOW. HE RECEIVED MINOR CUTS AND SCRAPES. NONE OF THE OUTER WINDOW PANE PARTS WERE RECOVERED FOR EXAMINATION TO DETERMINE FAILURES.
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: 7,774 hours in all; 862 in this make and model; 128 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 4,141 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31,632 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 25, 1992; 220 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 190,500 lb
- Seats: 191
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D 15A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Miami Air International, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: VLN Valencia OF at 5:31 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from MIA, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 71 |
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 N804MA 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.