Boeing 720-025 incident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 5, 1984
On June 5, 1984 at about 5:12 pm local time, a Boeing 720-025, registered N8711E, was involved in an incident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 95 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 5, 1984 · about 5:12 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 95 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 720-025
- Registration
- N8711E · no longer on the register · serial 18240
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CLIMBING THRU 600 FT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE CREW HEARD A LOUD BANG, THE ACFT SHUTTERED & THE #3 ENG FIRE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED. THE COPLT SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENG & THE FIRE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED, SO A 2ND FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED. THE AIRCREW RETURNED TO THE ARPT & LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT WAS STANDING BY & THE PASSENGERS DEPLANED NORMALLY. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE 7TH STAGE TURBINE ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED, PENETRATING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CASE. THE 6TH & 8TH STAGES WERE DAMAGED BY THE DISPLACED 7TH STAGE ASSEMBLY. FUEL LINES & THE FIRE WARNING SYSTEM WERE ALSO DAMAGED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 29,560 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 229,000 lb
- Seats: 102
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3C-7 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA at 4:53 pm
- Destination: LAX Los Angeles CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from PHL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 88 |
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.