- Date
- May 31, 1987, 23:31 local (Jun 1, 1987, 06:31 UTC)
- Place
- Los Angeles, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 9 minor, 142 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- XAFIEBoeing 727-264
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 25405
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
The aircraft landed on rwy 25 left and was holding short of 25 right for a crossing clearance when the flight engineer started the APU. Passengers seated in the area between rows 20 and 22 on the right side of the cabin observed a 'bright' yellow blossoming glow' emanate from the APU discharge duct and erroneously believed this to be a fire in the right wing. Several passengers shouted 'fire,' and, two passengers rushed to the 19 left over wing emergency exit, opened it and dove out onto the wing. Other passengers followed the first two out onto the wing. The panic spread to the forward and aft areas of the cabin and the passengers began rushing toward the doors. The crew heard the shouts of fire and subsequently stopped the aircraft and ordered an evacuation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- XAFIE
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-264
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21072
- Airframe hours
- 34,794
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-17R, 17,400 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Registered owner
- Compania Mexicana De Aviacion
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 14, 1987 · 137 hours before
- Departed
- GDL · Guadalajara
- Destination
- LAX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LAX · Los Angeles Intl, runway 25L, 11,096 × 200 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,655 total · 119 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAX