Boeing 727-232 N401DA
28 November 1992 · Chicago, Illinois, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 28 November 1992 at about 02:39 local time, a Boeing 727-232 registered N401DA, operated by Delta Airlines, was involved in an accident near Chicago, Illinois, United States. 124 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 5 had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:39
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-232
- Registration
- N401DA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 3
- Operator
- Delta Airlines
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Orlando → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- CHI93LA043
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 124 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 118 |
Probable cause
THE CAPTAIN'S INADEQUATE COORDINATION WITH THE GROUND AND FLIGHT CREW. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PASSENGER'S PERCEPTION THAT THE APU EXHAUST WAS A FIRE, WHICH RESULTED IN ACTION THAT INITIATED AN EVACUATION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE FLIGHT HAD ARRIVED AT THE JETWAY AND THE PASSENGERS WERE BEGINNING TO DEPLANE. BEFORE EXTERNAL GROUND POWER WAS SUPPLIED TO THE AIRPLANE, THE CAPT PREMATURELY SHUT DOWN THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE WHICH WAS SUPPLYING ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE CABIN. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN, THE MAIN CABIN LIGHTS WENT OUT, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY-POWERED EMERGENCY FLOOR LIGHTS. THE FLIGHT ENGINEER ANNOUNCED TO THE CAPT THAT HE WAS STARTING THE AUXILIARY POWER UNIT (APU). AS HE STARTED THE APU, AN EXHAUST FLAME MOMENTARILY CAME OUT FROM THE APU EXHAUST PIPE LOCATED NEAR THE TOP OF THE RIGHT WING ROOT. SOME PASSENGERS YELLED 'FIRE' AND BEGAN AN UNCOMMANDED EVACUATION THROUGH THE OVERWING EXITS. CREW MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO STOP THE EVAUCATION, BUT NOT BEFORE SEVERAL PASSENGERS HAD JUMPED OFF THE WINGS AND INCURRED INJURIES.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Boeing 727 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Dec 1992 | Boeing 727-225A | Miami, Florida, United States | Miami Air International, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1992 | Boeing 727-200 | Janesville, Wisconsin, United States | United Airlines | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Feb 1992 | Boeing 727-214A | San Juan | Usair, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Oct 1992 | Boeing 727-200 | Martinique, France | DHL Airways | No injuries | - |
| 12 Feb 1993 | Boeing 727-200 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Continental Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 1993 | Boeing 727-100 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Federal Express, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1992 | Cessna 177 | Manlius, Illinois, United States | Grand Lake Air Inc. | Fatal | 4 |
| 20 Sep 1992 | Cessna 152 | Ottawa, Illinois, United States | Legends, R.e. & J.k. Brown | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Sep 1992 | Beechcraft B55 | Joliet, Illinois, United States | J. F. Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 1992 | Cessna 150L | Elwood, Illinois, United States | Thomas F and Robert H Bentley | Fatal | 2 |
| 3 Mar 1992 | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | United Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 1992 | Douglas DC-8-61 | Morton Grove, Illinois, United States | Airborne Express Inc. | No injuries | - |