Miami Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Miami, Florida 33148
Sunday, March 16, 1986 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING ARRIVAL AT FT LAUDERDALE, THE AIRCREW ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE GEAR, BUT AT FIRST, THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET A SAFE 'DOWN' INDICATION FOR THE RGT MAIN GEAR. AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR, THEY WERE ABLE TO INSURE THAT BOTH MAIN GEAR HAD EXTENDED& WERE LOCKED. THEY DIVERTED TO MIAMI, BUT BY THEN, THEY WERE UNABLE TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR BY USING THE NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION SYS & THEY HAD ONLY 4000 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE CAPTAIN ELECTED TO LAND WITHOUT MANUALLY EXTENDING THE NOSE GEAR; HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOW FUEL CONDITION AND BELIEVED THAT HE MIGHT COMPROMISE THE MAIN LANDING GEAR POSITION BY PLACING THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION WHILE THE 'A' HYDRAULIC SYS WAS OFF. AN EXAM REVEALED THE ROD END OF THE LANDING GEAR LOCK ACTUATOR, PN 69-30537-4, HAD FAILED. A METALLURGICAL EXAM REVEALED THE ROD END HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE IN THE THREADED AREA WHERE CORROSION HAD OCCURRED. ALSO, AN ELEC FAILURE WAS FND IN THE LANDING GEAR LOGIC RESOLUTION CIRCUIT THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN IMPROPER INDICATION OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 3/16/1986
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 10
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City MIAMI
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33148
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MIAMI INTL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID MIA
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 10
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 12 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID MIA
Elevation of weather observation facility 10
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 2500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 140
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5008
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 16 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 50
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 30804
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8861E
NTSB Number MIA86IA098
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING
Aircraft Model 727
Aircraft Series Identifier 727
Aircraft Serial Number 20623
Certified Max Gross Weight 142000
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 149
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Jun 2 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 39498
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EASTERN AIRLINES INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address MIAMI INTL AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City MIAMI
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33148
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 EALA
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 Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code LGA
Departure City NEW YORK
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code FLL
Destination City FT.LAUDERDALE
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 9R
Runway Length 13000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --