Boeing 737-400 incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, September 26, 1995
On September 26, 1995 at about 8:48 pm local time, a Boeing 737-400, registered N404KW, was involved in an incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people had minor injuries; 162 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE WRITTEN MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES ADDRESSING STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE EVENT OF A COMPONENT FAILURE DURING AN ENGINE WASH. THE EMERGENCY SLIDES FAILED TO DEPLOY DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION 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
- September 26, 1995 · about 8:48 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 162 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-400 · all 737-400s on the register
- Registration
- N404KW · registry record · serial 25371
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB THE FLIGHT CREW ENCOUNTERED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, AND COMMANDED AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF PASSENGERS AND FLIGHT CREW. TWO AFT EMERGENCY SLIDES DID NOT DEPLOY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE SMOKE/FUMES ENTERED THE AIRPLANE THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AS A RESULT OF A WASH SOLUTION REMAINING IN THE LEFT ENGINE LONGER THAN REQUIRED DURING AN ENGINE WASH. WHILE THE ENGINE WAS BEING WASHED ON THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE STARTER FAILED AND THE SOLUTION REMAINED IN THE ENGINE MORE THAN THE REQUIRED 20 MINUTES WHILE THE STARTER WAS BEING CHANGED. EXAMINATION OF THE AFT EMERGENCY SLIDES REVEALED THE INSTALLATION SAFETY PINS WERE STILL INSTALLED.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,579 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 18, 1995; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 150,000 lb
- Seats: 165
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CFM56-3C-1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Carnival Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: FLL
- Destination: ISP Islip NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from FLL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 156 |
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.