Boeing 737-130 incident near Portland, Maine, June 28, 1984
On June 28, 1984 at about 3:34 am local time, a Boeing 737-130, registered N417PE, suffered minor damage in an incident near Portland, Maine (Portland airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people had minor injuries; 121 others were unhurt. 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 28, 1984 · about 3:34 am local time
- Place
- Portland, Maine · Portland · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 121 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-130 · all 737-130s on the register
- Registration
- N417PE · no longer on the register · serial 19794
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
CAPTAIN HEARD LOUD 'POP' AND OBSERVED AN ELECTRICAL PANEL INTERRUPTION ALONG WITH ILLUMINATION OF RT 'BUS OFF' & 'GEN OFF BUS' LIGHTS. NO GENERATOR AMPS OR FREQS WERE OBSERVED. FAINT ODOR OF SMOKE. CAPT STARTED APU AND PUT APU GENERATOR ON RT SIDE. 'BUS OFF' LIGHT EXTINQUISHED. WITHIN A MINUTE, SMOKE LEVEL INCREASED. CAPT REMOVED APU & CALLED FOR ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND FIRE CHECKLIST. EMERGENCY LANDING PERFORMED DURING WHICH ALL 4 MAIN GEAR TIRES FAILED. CREW & PAX PERFORMED EMERGENCY EVACUATION. INSPECTION OF ACFT DISCLOSED THE FAILURE IN THE GENERATOR CONTROL UNIT OCCURRED IN A CAPACITOR INSTALLED IN THE CIRCUIT. FAILURE OF THE #2 GENERATOR CONTROL UNIT RENDERED THE ANTI-SKID SYSTEM INOP RESULTING IN THE TIRE FAILURES.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 49,429 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 97,800 lb
- Seats: 100
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D9 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EWR Newark NJ
- Destination: PWM Portland ME
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11, 6,800 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 am from PWM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 114 |
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.