Boeing 767-332 accident near Portland, Oregon, February 20, 1996
On February 20, 1996 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Boeing 767-332, registered N125DL, was involved in an accident near Portland, Oregon (Portland International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries; 139 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the passenger's unsuccessful (improper) evacuation of the aircraft. The malfunctioning APU was a related factor in that it torched and produced smoke, due to a faulty fuel control unit and/or gearbox shutoff valve, thereby prompting an emergency evacuation of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1996 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Portland, Oregon · Portland International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries; 139 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-332 · all 767-332s on the register
- Registration
- N125DL · no longer on the register · serial 24075
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the Boeing 767 was taxiing for departure, the crew of another aircraft reported that there was smoke and flames coming from the Boeing 767 APU exhaust. The crew of the Boeing 767 shut down the APU and began coordinating with dispatch for a return to the gate. The crew was then directed by the tower to hold their position and to shut down their engines. Soon thereafter, the tower advised the crew that the Fire Marshall had called for the aircraft to be evacuated because there was still smoke coming from the APU exhaust. The aircraft was evacuated using the evacuation slides at the door exits. One passenger received serious injuries during the evacuation. An inspection of the APU showed that the fuel control unit and the gearbox shutoff valve needed to be replaced. Once those units were replaced, the APU was test run with no further discrepancies noted.
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: 21,000 hours in all; 4,101 in this make and model; 223 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,272 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 16, 1996; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 345,000 lb
- Seats: 262
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80A2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
The flight
- Departed from: PDX
- Destination: LAX Los Angeles CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft; scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from PDX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 | 131 |
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.