Boeing 707-131B incident near Las Vegas, Nevada, March 8, 1982
On March 8, 1982 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Boeing 707-131B, registered N6728, was involved in an incident near Las Vegas, Nevada (Mccarran Internatl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. 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
- March 8, 1982 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · Mccarran Internatl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 707-131B · all 707-131Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6728 · no longer on the register · serial 19218
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THERE WAS NO INTENT TO FLY. ON 3-8-82, A BOEING 707-131, OWNED AND OPERATED BY TWA, WAS RECEIVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IN LAS VEGAS, NV. DURING THE CHECK, THE SERVICING VALVE ON THE FORWARD WATER TANK WOULD NOT OPEN. A TWA MECHANIC ENTERED THE FORWARD ELECTRONICS BAY TO CHECK THE VALVE CONTROL MECHANISM WHILE THE LEAD MECHANIC OPERATED THE VALVE FROM OUTSIDE. THE VALVE OPERATED NORMALLY AND THE LEAD MECHANIC YELLED "IT'S OK". A SHORT TIME LATER, ANOTHER MECHANIC LOOKED IN THE COMPARTMENT, DID NOT SEE ANYONE AND SECURED THE HATCH. THE MECHANIC'S ABSENCE WAS NOT NOTED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. ON 3-9-82, THE AIRPLANE FLEW TO ST. LOUIS, MO WHERE THE MECHANICS BODY WAS DISCOVERED AFTER SEARCH WAS INITIATED BY THE LAS VEGAS STATION MANAGER. AN AUTOPSY REVEALED THAT THE MECHANIC WAS ELECTROCUTED WHEN HE CAME IN CONTACT WITH SEVERAL 115 VOLT RELAYS IN THE ELECTRONICS COMPARTMENT. INJURIES FOUND DURING AUTOPSY INDICATE THAT THE MECHANIC SLIPPED AND STRUCK HIS HEAD AND FELL ON THE RELAYS.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 258,000 lb
- Seats: 192
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans World Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: Las Vegas NV
- Destination: St. Louis MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from LAS
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.