- Date
- December 15, 1985, 14:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Boston, MA
- Injuries
- 269 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- GAWNEBoeing 747-136
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- Case key
- 15849
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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
Aprx 16 ft of the left inboard trailing edge flap separated while the acft was on final apch to land. The apch and landing were completed without further incident. Investigation revealed 5 of the 8 bolts which hold the no. 3 flap trackforward attach fitting to the wing showed signs of fatigue and the 3 remaining bolts showed overload type failures. No inspection requirements for the forward attachment bolts were required by Boeing at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- GAWNE
- Reported as
- Boeing 747-136
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19765
- Airframe hours
- 55,667
- Engine
- P&W JT9D-7A, 46,250 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Registered owner
- British Airways
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 20, 1985 · 700 hours before
- Departed
- LHR · London, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BOS · Logan Int'L, runway 22L, 10,005 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,481 total · 645 in this make and model · 38 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BOS, 4 nm away