Boeing 727-254 incident near Boston, Massachusetts, August 10, 1989
On August 10, 1989 at about 2:46 pm local time, a Boeing 727-254, registered N915TS, suffered minor damage 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; 54 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR DRAG BRACE TO UNLOCK DURING LANDING. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE FAILURE OF PACIFIC SOUTHWEST AIRLINES TO CATCH THE INCORRECT ASSEMBLY. AN ADDITIONAL FACTOR WAS THE USE OF FAULTY INFORMATION BY EASTERN AIRLINES AND THEIR DECISION TO NOT MAKE THE INSPECTION REQUIRED BY THE BOEING SERVICE LETTER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1989 · about 2:46 pm local time
- Place
- Boston, Massachusetts · Logan Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 54 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-254 · all 727-254s on the register
- Registration
- N915TS · registry record · serial 20252
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CREW OF A BOEING 727 WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE NOSE LANDING GEAR BY EITHER NORMAL MEANS OR BY USE OF THE MANUAL HANDCRANK. A NOSE GEAR UP LANDING WITH AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION THROUGH THE L1/R1 EXITS WAS MADE. POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT BOTH LINKS WHICH REMOVE THE LOCKING PAWLS IN THE NOSE GEAR DRAG BRACE WERE FRACTURED. WHEN EXAMINED AT BOEING METALLURGICAL LABORATORY, NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND THAT BUSHINGS WERE INSTALLED.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,900 hours in all; 7,500 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35,787 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 29, 1988; 931 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 160,500 lb
- Seats: 165
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGA Flushing NY at 12:40 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33L, 10,081 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from BOS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 47 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC89IA185.