Boeing 727-257 N715RC

Summary

On 5 December 1990 at about 10:15 local time, a Boeing 727-257 registered N715RC, operated by Northwest Airlines, Inc., was involved in an incident near Detroit, Michigan, United States. 76 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 December 1990 at 10:15

Classification

Incident

Location

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Detroit (DTW)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Boeing 727-257

Registration

N715RC

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Northwest Airlines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seattle → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

CHI91IA041

Nobody was injured.

THE INADEQUATE DEICING PROCEDURES INSTITUTED BY COMPANY MANAGEMENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE INCIDENT AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED AN APU FIRE SHORTLY AFTER LANDING WHEN THE APU WAS STARTED. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DEICED AT ITS POINT OF DEPARTURE WITH A GLYCOL AND WATER MIX. COMPANY POLICY CALLED FOR THE FLIGHT CREW TO SHUT OFF THE APU DURING DEICING. THE APU EXHAUST OUTLET IS ON TOP OF THE RIGHT WING NEAR THE FUSELAGE, AND WILL ACCEPT DEICE FLUID INTO THE EXHAUST AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE APU COMBUSTION CHAMBER IF DEICING FLUID IS DIRECTED INTO THE OPENING. GLYCOL IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE ONCE THE WATER IS VAPORIZED/EVAPORATED. THE APU START FOLLOWING THE LANDING AT DETROIT IGNITED THE RESIDUAL GLYCOL IN THE APU, CAUSING THE EXHAUST STACK FIRE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.