Boeing 727-231 incident near Boston, Massachusetts, March 27, 1986
On March 27, 1986 at about 4:41 am local time, a Boeing 727-231, registered N52311, was involved in an incident near Boston, Massachusetts (Logan Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people had minor injuries; 94 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
- March 27, 1986 · about 4:41 am local time
- Place
- Boston, Massachusetts · Logan Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 94 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-231 · all 727-231s on the register
- Registration
- N52311 · no longer on the register · serial 19830
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO OF 3 REQD FLT ATTENDANTS (F/A'S) WERE DISTRIBUTING PASSENGER (PAX) COATS AS THE ACFT WAS BEING TAXIED AFTER LNDG. SMOKE FM AN OVERHEATED AIR COND (A/C) PACK BGN ENTERING THE CABIN & THE F/A'S RETURNED TO THEIR DUTY STATIONS. THE FLT CREW STOPPED THE ACFT AT THE GATE & SHUT DWN THE ENGS, BUT LEFT THE APU RUNNING TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY FOR LIGHTING. THEF/A'S OPENED THE L FWD DOOR & GND PSNL OPENED THE REAR STAIR DOOR TO DEPLANE THE PAX. THE CAPT MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO KEEP THE PAX CALM, BUT SMOKE BCM DENSE & PAX OPENED THE EMERG EXITS OVR THE WINGS & BGN EXITING FM THEM. TWO PAX RCVD MINOR INJURIES WHILE EXITING OVR THE WINGS. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD BEEN DISPATCHED WITH THE R PACK COOL-ING FAN INOP AS AUTHORIZED BY THE MIN EQUIP LIST (MEL). DRG FLT, A RADIO INTERFERENCE FILTER IN THE A/C SYS FAILED WHICHALLOWED THE FWD PACK SHUT-OFF VALVE TO OPEN, BUT NOT CLOSE. THIS PERMITTED APU AIR TO RUN THE AFFECTED PACK EVEN THO THESWITCH WAS OFF & A CIRCUIT BRKR WAS PULLED. WITH THE ENGS SHUT DOWN & THE R COOLING FAN INOP, THE SYS OVERHEATED.
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: 7,792 hours in all; 702 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44,246 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 271 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 134
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans World Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: STL St Louis MO at 2:00 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22L, 10,005 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 am from BOS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.