- Date
- June 21, 1990, 22:12 local (Jun 22, 1990, 02:12 UTC)
- Place
- Charleston, SC
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor, 116 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N743USBoeing 727-281
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900621029219A
- Case key
- 8137
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper utilization of the emergency equipment.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While passing 10,000 feet MSL on the descent for a night landing, the number two engine fire warning light and bell activated. Following accomplishment of all checklist procedures, the fire warning indications remained on. The captain ordered an emergency evacuation on the runway after the airplane landed. During the evacuation, one passenger was knocked off of the wing by an overzealous passenger and was seriously injured. Another passenger with two small children requested assistance from the flight attendant. While the flight attendant was seeking help, the passenger put one child on the slide without waiting for assistance, and the child resisted. The child fell from the slide and was seriously injured. Post-flight examination of the airplane revealed a faulty fire detection element on the number two engine, and no evidence of inflight fire was observed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N743US
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-281
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20285
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-9A, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Usair
- Registered owner
- Usair
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- CLT · Charlotte, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CHS · Charleston International, runway 21, 7,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,950 total · 3,210 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 220° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.