Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Detroit, Michigan 48111
Thursday, April 25, 1985 10:45 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLT CREWMEMBERS OF THE JUMBO JET WERE PREPARING TO START THE ENGS WHEN FLT ATTENDANTS (F/A'S) IN THE FORWARD CABIN DETECTED A FAINT ODOR PRIOR TO CLOSING DOOR 1L. THE SOURCE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED, SO THE DOOR WAS CLOSED IN PREPARATION FOR A PUSHBACK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SMOKE WAS DISCOVERED IN THE VICINITY OF THE OVERHEAD BIN AT ROW 16. THE CAPTAIN WAS NOTIFIED & HE ORDERED THAT 'OCCUPANTS EVACUATE, IF THERE IS A FIRE ONBOARD.' THE JETWAY WAS BROUGHT BACK TO DOOR 1L. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED; THUS, THE F/A'S AT DOORS 1R, 2L & 2R DID NOT OPEN THEIR DOORS. HOWEVER, THE F/A'S AT THE OTHER 6 DOORS WERE UNAWARE OF THE SITUATION & CONTINUED THE EVACUATION. THE RAMPS AT DOORS 3L & 3R DID NOT INFLATE & DOOR 5R JAMMED HALFWAY OPEN. THE RAMP PACKS FOR 3R & 3L WERE IMPROPERLY MOUNTED. THE 5R PACK BOARD WAS MADE FOR A LEFT HAND DOOR & THE LANYARD WAS NOT CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM PANEL PULLEY. AN EXAM REVEALED A BALLAST FOR AN OVERHEAD FLOURESCENT LIGHT, PN 69-33C, HAD OVERHEATED & MELTED THE PLASTIC CASE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 4/25/1985 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1045 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | DETROIT |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48111 |
| Event Date Year | 1985 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 850 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 210 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DTW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 639 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | 42 |
| Injury Total None | 439 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 42 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5008 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 25 1985 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 27825 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9663 |
| NTSB Number | DCA85IA019 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 747-123 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 747-123 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | SN20102 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 710000 |
| 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 | 495 |
| Number of Engines | 4 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 271 |
| Airframe Hours | 38827 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UNITED AIR CARRIERS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | BUILDING, 178 JFK INT'L APRT. |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 11430 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | UNITED AIR CARRIERS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | BUILDING 178 |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | Non-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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | DTW |
| Departure City | DETROIT |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LAS |
| Destination City | LAS VEGAS |
| Destination State | NV |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |