- Date
- October 24, 1988, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 80 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N277USBoeing B-727-200A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881024057529I
- Case key
- 14278
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
On departure from Chicago, Illinois, o'hare airport the aircraft experienced a loss of the inboard left main wheel. The aircraft diverted to detroit, Michigan, where it was landed with no damage to the aircraft and no injuries to the crew or passengers. Subsequent examination of the broken inboard axle assembly by the NTSB metallurgical lab, revealed fatigue cracking of the axle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N277US
- Reported as
- Boeing B-727-200A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21156
- Airframe hours
- 31,131
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-15, 15,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Northwest Airlines, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Northwest Airlines, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- BOS · Boston, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,234 total · 6,774 in this make and model · 160 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 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.