Boeing 727-200 incident near Seattle, Washington, June 13, 1988
On June 13, 1988 at about 5:17 am local time, a Boeing 727-200, registered N308AS, suffered minor damage in an incident near Seattle, Washington (Seattle-Tacoma Int'L. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 7 people had minor injuries; 81 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
- June 13, 1988 · about 5:17 am local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Seattle-Tacoma Int'L. · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 7 people had minor injuries; 81 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-200 · all 727-200s on the register
- Registration
- N308AS · no longer on the register · serial 227
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN, THRUST LEVERS WERE PLACED IN THE IDLE REVERSE POSITION. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE GEAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, BRAKING AND FULL REVERSE THRUST WAS APPLIED. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE PILOT APPLIED ASYMMETRICAL BRAKING WITH NO CHANGE IN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PILOT THEN COMBINED THE USE OF ASYMMETRICAL BRAKING WITH ASYMMETRICAL REVERSE THRUST. AS A FINAL EFFORT TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM DEPARTING THE RUNWAY, THE CAPTAIN USED THE TILLER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A GRASSY AREA BETWEEN THE PARALLEL RUNWAYS. THE AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH 'LIGHTWEIGHT' CLAMSHELL THRUST REVERSERS. THE RIGHT HAND THRUST REVERSER ON THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE WAS FOUND FAILED IN THE OPEN (FORWARD THRUST) POSITION. THRUST REVERSER LIGHTS DID NOT INDICATE ANY ABNORMALITIES. AN OVERSTRESS FRACTURE OF THE LOWER INNER HINGE WITH A FATIGUE FRACTURE THROUGH THE FLANGE OF THE UPPER OUTER HINGE WAS FOUND BY METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,240 hours in all; 7,803 in this make and model; 123 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 31, 1988; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 190,000 lb
- Seats: 134
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-17R (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alaska Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PDX Portland OR at 4:45 am
- Destination: SEA Seattle WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34R, 11,900 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 am from SEA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 7 | 75 |
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.