Northwest Airlines Flight 5
Encyclopedia
Northwest Airlines Flight 5 was a flight from Miami International Airport
to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
, which, on January 4, 1990, suffered the loss of the number three (starboard) engine
at 35000 feet (10,668 m) in mid-flight over Madison, Florida
.
The Boeing 727-251
, operated by Northwest Airlines
, took off from Miami at 08:15 EST
on the morning of January 4, 1990. About an hour later, at approximately 09:10 EST, the pilots reported hearing a loud bang towards the rear of the aircraft. The 14 year old jet continued to fly normally and the crew, not knowing that an engine had fallen off, flew for almost 50 minutes before carrying out a safe emergency landing
at Tampa International Airport
at 09:58 EST. The engine, a Pratt & Whitney
JT8D-15, was found a day later in a field near Madison, Florida
.
After landing, inspection crews found the forward lavatory
external seal was missing and had probably been improperly installed, causing a leakage when the plane was pressurized. The missing seal caused frozen chunks of lavatory fluid to be ingested by the number three engine thus damaging the compressor blades. Upon failure the engine separated from the aircraft fuselage
, as it had been designed to do.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
determined the probable cause of the incident to be "the failure of company service personnel to properly service the airplane forward lavatory."
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:...
, which, on January 4, 1990, suffered the loss of the number three (starboard) engine
Aircraft engine position number
Aircraft engine position number is a method to identify the location of engines on multi-engined aircraft. Aircraft engines are numbered from left to right from the view of the pilot looking forward.-Twin-engined aircraft:* #1 - port - on the left...
at 35000 feet (10,668 m) in mid-flight over Madison, Florida
Madison, Florida
Madison is a city in Madison County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,061 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,195...
.
The Boeing 727-251
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
, operated by Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
, took off from Miami at 08:15 EST
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
on the morning of January 4, 1990. About an hour later, at approximately 09:10 EST, the pilots reported hearing a loud bang towards the rear of the aircraft. The 14 year old jet continued to fly normally and the crew, not knowing that an engine had fallen off, flew for almost 50 minutes before carrying out a safe emergency landing
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
at Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...
at 09:58 EST. The engine, a Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
JT8D-15, was found a day later in a field near Madison, Florida
Madison, Florida
Madison is a city in Madison County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,061 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,195...
.
After landing, inspection crews found the forward lavatory
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
external seal was missing and had probably been improperly installed, causing a leakage when the plane was pressurized. The missing seal caused frozen chunks of lavatory fluid to be ingested by the number three engine thus damaging the compressor blades. Upon failure the engine separated from the aircraft fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
, as it had been designed to do.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
determined the probable cause of the incident to be "the failure of company service personnel to properly service the airplane forward lavatory."