Boeing 727-231 incident near New York City, New York, September 10, 1990
On September 10, 1990 at about 2:32 am local time, a Boeing 727-231, registered N74317, was involved in an incident near New York City, New York (Laguardia airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people had minor injuries; 150 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE EXHAUST PIPE FIRE IN THE APU WHICH RESULTED IN AN UNAUTHORIZED EVACUATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE PASSENGERS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1990 · about 2:32 am local time
- Place
- New York City, New York · Laguardia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 150 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-231 · all 727-231s on the register
- Registration
- N74317 · no longer on the register · serial 20050
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING AND DURING TAXI TO THE GATE, THE CREW ATTEMPTED TO START THE APU. THE APU TORCHED AND FLAMES CAME OUT NEAR THE RIGHT WING. A PASSENGER SITTING NEAR THE WINDOW SHOUTED FIRE. A PASSENGER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE SITTING NEAR THE OVER WING EMERGENCY EXIT OPENED THE EXIT AND STARTED AN UNWARRANTED EVACUATION WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL MOVING. THE CABIN AND FLIGHT CREW ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE ORDER, BUT MANY OF THE PASSENGERS WERE ALREADY OUT ON THE WING AND OPENING DOORS. A FLIGHT ATTENDANT ACTIVATED THE EVACUATION ALARM AND FLIGHT CREW BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE TO A STOP. THE AIRPLANE WAS COMPLETELY EVACUATED AND TOWED TO THE GATE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,109 hours in all; 3,953 in this make and model; 216 in the last 90 days; 72 in the last 30 days; 4,778 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 172,000 lb
- Seats: 154
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A-15A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans World Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Ft Lauderdale FL at 11:51 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 11 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 139 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N74317 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.