Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Bradley International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Windsor Locks, Connecticut 07670
Friday, May 3, 1991 5:53 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
N425EX WAS ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL WHEN THE FLIGHTCREW EXPERIENCED A 'THUMP' THAT RESOUNDED THROUGH THE AIRPLANE. THEY ALSO OBSERVED ERRATIC ENGINE INDICATIONS FROM THE NO.3 ENGINE. THE CAPTAIN ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND STOPPED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY. THE FIRE WARNING SYSTEM ACTIVATED ON THE NO.3 ENGINE AFTER THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST. THE CREW ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH THE AIRPLANE'S FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE NO.3 ENGINE REVEALED THE HIGH PRESSURE COMPRESSOR DISK HAD FAILED DUE TO A FATIGUE CRACK THAT ORIGINATED FROM A CORROSION PIT. THE SHRAPNEL FROM THE DISK PENETRATED THE ENGINE NACELLE AND SEVERED THE MAIN FUEL LINE FOR THE ENGINE. THE FUEL IGNITED AND BURNED INTO THE FUSELAGE, IGNITING THE 12,600 LBS OF CARGO (U.S. MAIL).
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A CATASTROPHIC AND UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE NO.3 ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN A FUEL FED FIRE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/3/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 553 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | WINDSOR LOCKS |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07670 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BDL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 174 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 450 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 1 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BDL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 174 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dawn |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1418 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45212 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N425EX |
| NTSB Number | NYC91FA125 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 727-100QC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 727-100QC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 19095 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 169500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 3 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 18 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 151 |
| Airframe Hours | 46981 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FIRST SECURITY BANK OF UTAH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 79 SOUTH MAIN STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITYH |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84111 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | RYAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1600 AIRPORT RD, MID CONT ARPT |
| Operator City | WICHITA |
| Operator State | KS |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 67209 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 550 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BOS |
| Destination City | BOSTON |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 19 2004 3:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 33 |
| Runway Length | 6846 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |