Boeing 727-290 incident near Portland, Oregon, April 13, 1988
On April 13, 1988 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Boeing 727-290, registered N291AS, suffered minor damage in an incident near Portland, Oregon (Portland Intnl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 98 people were on board or involved. 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
- April 13, 1988 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Portland, Oregon · Portland Intnl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 98 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-290 · all 727-290s on the register
- Registration
- N291AS · registry record · serial 21511
- 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 BOEING 727 WAS PUSHED BACK FM THE GATE COUNTERCLOCKWISE THROUGH AN ARC OF 90 DEGREES RESULTING IN MISPOSITIONING THE ACFT RELATIVE TO THE INTENDED TAXI DIRECTION. THE GROUND CREW (TUG AND SAFETY OPERATORS) ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE THE OUT OF POSITION CONDITION BY CONTINUING THE PUSH BACK THROUGH A SECOND 90 DEGREE (COUNTERCLOCKWISE) ARC. THIS REQUIRED PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT UPSLOPE ACROSS THE RAMP. DURING THE SECOND 90 DEGREE ARC THE TUG BECAME POSITIONED APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES TO THE TOWBAR/AIRCRAFT LONGITUDINAL AXIS. THE DOWNSLOPE AND IDLE POWER CONDITIONS OVERPOWERED THE TUG'S BRAKING CAPACITY AND THE TOW BAR BROKE UNDER A BENDING LOAD ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL FORWARD IMPACTING THE TUG. ALL THREE B-727 ENGINES WERE OPERATING AT IDLE THRUST.
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: 17,000 hours in all; 15,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 169,000 lb
- Seats: 145
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alaska Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from PDX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 91 |
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.