- Date
- November 28, 1985, 10:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Glen Ellyn, IL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N619USBoeing 747-251F
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851128063069I
- Case key
- 13353
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
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 climb a bang was heard and the aircraft shuddered. The crew stated that the number three engine oil pressure and oil quantity indicated low. The fire warning light and bell activvated. The engine was shut down and the aircraft landed without further incident. Postflight inspection revealed the outboard cowling of the number three engine had separated. The cowling was found in a suburb ten miles southwest of the airport. Engine teardown revealed a crack in a vent line strut in the diffuser area allowing bleed air to ignite oil in the number three bearing area. Pressure forced the fire to vent through the compartment breather air tube disintegrating the main bearing breather tuge elbow. The force of the explosion at the disintegrating elbow blew the outboard cowling off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N619US
- Reported as
- Boeing 747-251F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21321
- Airframe hours
- 23,296
- Engine
- P&W JT9D-3 SER, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Northwest Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- MSP · Minneapolis, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,912 total · 831 in this make and model · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 9 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.