Boeing 727-233 incident near Flushing, New York, July 5, 1982
On July 5, 1982 at about 5:59 pm local time, a Boeing 727-233, registered CGAAA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Flushing, New York (Laguardia airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 74 people were on board or involved. 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
- July 5, 1982 · about 5:59 pm local time
- Place
- Flushing, New York · Laguardia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 74 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-233 · all 727-233s on the register
- Registration
- CGAAA · no longer on the register · serial 20932
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING INITIAL CLIMB, THE AMBER LEADING EDGE FLAT LIGHT REMAINED LIT AFTER FLAP RETRACTION FROM 5 DEGREES TO 2 DEGREES. MODERATE AILERON AND RUDDER INPUTS WERE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN WINGS LEVEL FLIGHT. AFTER CYCLING THE FLAPS FROM 5 BACK TO 2 DEGREES, THE SAME CONDITION EXISTED AND THE SECOND OFFICER CONFIRMED THAT THE NO. 7 SLAT WAS NOT RETRACTING. THE FLAPS WERE THEN EXTENDED TO 15 DEGREES, ELIMINATING THE ROLLING TENDENCY, AND THE FLIGHT RETURNED TO LAGUARDIA. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT AN INBOARD SLAT TRACK ROLLER SUPPORT BOLT FOR THE NO. 7 SLAT HAD FAILED. THE ROLLER WAS FOUND LODGED BETWEEN THE INBOARD TRACK AND WING STRUCTURE. THE ROLLER WAS SEIZED WITH SEVERAL BEARINGS MISSING. LITTLE LUBRICATION WAS EVIDENT. THE BOLT FRACTURED THROUGH A LUBRICATION HOLE THAT THE ROLLER MOUNTS OVER. BOLT FRACTURE FACES EXHIBITED STRIATIONS AND CUPPING. TOTAL TIME ON BOLT AND ROLLER WAS 18,815 HOURS.
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: 10,076 hours in all; 1,558 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,816 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 3,163 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 173,000 lb
- Seats: 132
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W JT8D-15 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Canada
The flight
- Departed from: LGA Flushing NY at 1:44 pm
- Destination: CYUL Montreal
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 171°F (77°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from LGA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 | |||
| Passengers | 66 |
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.