Boeing 727-31 incident near Flushing, New York, June 2, 1984
On June 2, 1984 at about 10:54 am local time, a Boeing 727-31, registered N855TW, suffered minor damage in an incident near Flushing, New York (Jfk Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 66 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
- June 2, 1984 · about 10:54 am local time
- Place
- Flushing, New York · Jfk Int'L
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 66 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-31 · all 727-31s on the register
- Registration
- N855TW · registry record · serial 18574
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF FLT ATTENDANT REPORTED AFT AIRSTAIR PARTIALLY OPEN. FLT ENGINEER CHECKED & CONFIRMED AIRSTAIR OPEN APRX 18 INCHES. REMEDIAL ACTION PERFORMED TO NO AVAIL. UNSCHEDULED LANDING PERFORMED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS ACFT TURNED ONTO TAXIWAY AIRSTAIR CONTACTED GROUND. INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED, PRIOR TO DEPT MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR PLACARDED AFT AIRSTAIR WARNING LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT 'INOPERATIVE.' SUPERVISOR THEN MADE LOGBOOK ENTRY 'AIRSTAIRS CHECKED UP AND LOCKED.' INSPECTION REVEALED PLUNGER ON AFT AIRSTAIR BUNGEE ASS'Y WAS BOUND INSIDE ITS HOUSING DUE TO CORROSION & DIRT INSIDE THE BUSHING THROUGH WHICH PLUNGER SLIDES. MAINTENANCE MIN EQUIP & DISPATCH PROC WHICH WAS PERFORMED WAS TO VERIFY UPLATCH MECHANISM ENGAGED WITH UPLOCK ROLLERS ON AIRSTAIR. A NON-VALID TWA ACFT MAINTENANCE BULLETIN STATED THE ABOVE PROCESS DOES NOT ENSURE THE UPLATCH MECHANISM IS LOCKED AND THAT THE SOFT SURFACES MUST BE IN CONTACT TO VERIFY THE CRANK ARMS ARE LOCKED OVER-CENTER.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 161,000 lb
- Seats: 119
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W UNK (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: STL St. Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 am from LGA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 59 |
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.