- Date
- April 25, 1992, 18:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- HK360Boeing 707-324C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- Case key
- 32986
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Failure of the #3 engine pylon inboard midspar support fitting due to fatigue cracking which resulted in the separation of the number three engine and pylon. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate inspection requirements of the manufacturer and the FAA to detect cracks in the midspar fitting.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff, the #3 engine and pylon separated from the airplane as a result of the failure of the pylon inboard midspar support fitting. The fitting had cracked due to fatigue, and had been cracked for some time. The point of cracking was not visible for inspection on the wing. The fitting is the subject of FAA airworthiness directive 88-24-10 and Boeing service bulletin 3183 which require visual inspection of the midspar fitting each 1500 flight hours or 600 cycles. This inspection had been completed on the failed fitting on January 2, 1992, 821 flight hours and 328 cycles before the failure.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- HK360
- Reported as
- Boeing 707-324C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19352
- Airframe hours
- 53,257
- Engine
- P&W JT3D-3B, 17,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Operator
- Trans Aereos Mercan Pan Am, doing business as Tampa Airlines
- Registered owner
- Export Air Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 10, 1992 · 821 hours before
- Destination
- SKLC · Cali,Colombia, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MIA · Miami International, runway 9R, 13,002 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 4,500 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MIA, 1 nm away