- Date
- November 29, 1989, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 53 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8835EBoeing 727-225
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19891129047659I
- Case key
- 8153
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Inadequate maintenance and inspection by the operator.
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
During gear retraction after takeoff, the flight crew noted that the right main landing gear (MLG) door warning light remained illuminated. The landing gear was cycled, but the condition was not corrected. Attempts to extend the right MLG were unsuccessful & the right MLG remained partially extended. Subsequently a landing was made with the left MLG and nose gear extended & the right MLG partially extended. After landing the acft was lifted from the rwy & the right MLG fell freely. The uplock hook was found positioned up. Examination revealed that the door actuator bolts were loose & the serrated plate had been displaced. The bolts should be installed with 25-42 ft-lbs torque; inboard was loosened with 10 ft-lbs, two others were finger tight. Actuator fitting displaced fully outboard. Boeing service letter 727-SL-32-47 applies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8835E
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-225
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20154
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-7B, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Eastern Air Lines Inc.
- Departed
- ALB · Albany, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ATL · Hartsfield Atlanta Int'L, runway 9L, 11,889 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 16,000 total · 5,026 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.