- Date
- January 10, 1990, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Detroit, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N602USBoeing 747-151
- Weather
- Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report May 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900110006629I
- Case key
- 14562
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
A fire in the aft cargo compartment for undetermined reasons(s).
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
Airline ground personnel found heat/fire damage in the aft cargo bay in the vicinity of the mid-ship drain mast. It could not be determined when the damage occurred; there was no record of a crew report of fire/smoke detection/warning. A functional check of the systems indicated that they were capable of normal operation. There were no popped circuit breakers. The drain mast and associated ground/air relay switch were tested at the manufacturer's facility, and there was no evidence of failure of those components. Previous similar occurrences have been attributed to inadequate housekeeping. The area around the drain mast is a low point in the fuselage, and a natural place for trash/litter to collect. Injury index presumed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N602US
- Reported as
- Boeing 747-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19779
- Engine
- P&W JT9D-3A, 46,960 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Northwest Airlines, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Not reported
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.