Boeing 737-3B7 incident near Orlando, Florida, July 18, 1995
On July 18, 1995 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Boeing 737-3B7, registered N390US, was involved in an incident near Orlando, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 120 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
CONTAMINATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS TO THE E-1-2 AND E-1-3 SHELF DISCONNECT BRACKETS IN THE ELECTRONICS COMPARTMENT, WHICH RESULTED IN AN ELECTRICAL FAULT AND AN UNCOMMANDED ROLL MALFUNCTION OF THE AUTOPILOT. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE INCIDENT WAS: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1995 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 120 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-3B7 · all 737-3B7s on the register
- Registration
- N390US · no longer on the register · serial 23312
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED ROLL TO THE LEFT DURING DESCENT FOR LANDING. THE FLIGHT CREW DISENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT AND YAW DAMPER, BUT REENGAGED THE YAW DAMPER SINCE THERE WAS NO APPARENT YAW PROBLEM. THE DESCENT WAS CONTINUED AND A LANDING WAS MADE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EXAMINTATION REVEALED THE CONNECTOR PLUGS AND WIRING HARNESS TO THE E-1-2 AND E-1-3 SHELF DISCONNECT BRACKETS IN THE ELECTRONICS COMPARTMENT WERE CONTAMINATED WITH WATER AND A BLUE RESIDUE. THE SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION WERE WATER FROM A CURRENT MAIN CABIN DOOR LEAK AND BLUE RESIDUE FROM A PREVIOUS LEAK OF THE FORWARD LAVATORY.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,651 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 29,494 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 18, 1995; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 135,500 lb
- Seats: 149
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CFM56-3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PIT Pittsburgh PA at 7:04 pm
- Destination: MCO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:46 pm from MCO, 110 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 115 |
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.