Majors Fld Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Greenville, Texas 75401
Tuesady, March 14, 1989 9:12 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACFT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AFTER GETTING A FIRE WARNING INDICATION IN THE #2 ENG. INITIALLY THE INDICATIONS, BOTH THE FIRE WARNING LIGHT AND BELL, WERE INTERMITTENT; HOWEVER, THEY THEN WENT TO STEADY AND THE CREW SECURED THE ENG AND DISCHARGED BOTH FIRE BOTTLES WITH NO EFFECT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE HAD NOT BEEN A FIRE OR OVER TEMP CONDITION AND THAT THE ENGINE FIRE DETECTION LOOP WAS SHORTED OUT ON BOTH ELEMENTS. CONTAMINANTS WERE FOUND ON THE CONNECTORS AND PINS OF ONE END OF THE LOOP DURING INITIAL INSP. AFTER HANDLING AND SHIPMENT TO THE OPERATOR'S MAINTENANCE FACILITY, THE SHORT DISAPPEARED AND COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. LOOP MET ALL MANUFACTURERING SPECIFICATIONS AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY DURING ALL TESTING. CONTAMINANTS APPEARED TO BE ENGINE OIL AND HYDRAULIC FLUID. NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE ABOUT HOW OR WHEN THE CONTAMINANTS WERE INTRODUCED TO THE HERMETICALLY SEALED CONNECTORS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FALSE FIRE WARNING, WHICH RESULTED FROM (1) CONTAMINANTS ON HARDWARE AT ONE END OF THE FIRE DETECTION LOOP; AND (2) AN ELECTRICAL SHORT ON BOTH ELEMENTS OF THE LOOP.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 3/14/1989
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 912
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City GREENVILLE
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 75401
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MAJORS FLD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GVT
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 544
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 847 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID GVT
Elevation of weather observation facility 544
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1300
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) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 24
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 7
Injury Total None 91
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 7
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5037
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 14 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 923
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39760
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:31PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N511DA
NTSB Number FTW89IA067
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING
Aircraft Model 727-232
Aircraft Series Identifier 727-232
Aircraft Serial Number 21313
Certified Max Gross Weight 179500
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 156
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Mar 12 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 12
Airframe Hours 35431
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DELTA AIR LINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address ATLANTA HARTSFIELD INTL. ARPT
Aircraft Owner City ATLANTA
Aircraft Owner State GA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 30320
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code DALA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger/Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ATL
Departure City ATLANTA
Departure State GA
Departure Country
Departure Time 724
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SAN
Destination City SAN DIEGO
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 17
Runway Length 8029
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --