Boeing 747-130 incident near Jamaica, New York, August 14, 1995
On August 14, 1995 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Boeing 747-130, registered N603FF, suffered minor damage in an incident near Jamaica, New York. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 436 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure and separation of the #1 engine turbine shroud assembly, which resulted in an uncontained engine failure, a puncture of the #2 outboard reserve fuel tank plate, and a fuel leak.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1995 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Jamaica, New York · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 436 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-130 · all 747-130s on the register
- Registration
- N603FF · no longer on the register · serial 19746
- 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 flight had reached an altitude of 14,000 feet mean sea level (MSL), when the crew reported a severe vibration in the number 1 engine. The crew shut down the engine, declared an emergency, and returned to the airport. After landing, the airplane was taxied to the gate without evacuating the passengers. Examination of the engine revealed that a turbine shroud had separated and penetrated the turbine exhaust case at the 6 to 9 o'clock position, exited the cowling, and punctured the #2 outboard reserve fuel tank plate. There was a fuel leak, but no fire.
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: 4,700 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,690 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 31, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 734,000 lb
- Seats: 471
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D7A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFK
- Destination: ORY Paris OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 16 | |||
| Passengers | 420 |
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.