United Airlines Flight 173

United Airlines Flight 173
N8082U, the United Airlines DC-8-61 involved, pictured in 1972 sporting the previous livery
Accident
DateDecember 28, 1978
SummaryFuel exhaustion due to pilot error (lack of situational awareness) and maintenance error with landing gear
SiteNear Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon, United States
45°31′21″N 122°29′59″W / 45.5225°N 122.499722°W / 45.5225; -122.499722
Aircraft
Aircraft typeMcDonnell Douglas DC-8-61[1]
OperatorUnited Airlines
IATA flight No.UA173
ICAO flight No.UAL173
Call signUNITED 173
RegistrationN8082U
Flight originJohn F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, New York, United States
StopoverStapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado, United States
DestinationPortland International Airport, Portland, Oregon, United States
Occupants189
Passengers181
Crew8
Fatalities10
Injuries24
Survivors179
Portland is located in the United States
Portland
Portland
Portland is located in Oregon
Portland
Portland

United Airlines Flight 173 was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon, with a scheduled stop in Denver, Colorado. On December 28, 1978, the aircraft flying this route ran out of fuel while troubleshooting a landing gear problem and crashed in a suburban Portland neighborhood near NE 157th Avenue and East Burnside Street, killing 10 people on board.[2][3][4][5][6]

The accident prompted the development of crew resource management in aviation.

  1. ^ "United Airlines Flight 173". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation.
  2. ^ Baum, Bob (December 29, 1978). "10 dead in Portland jetliner crash". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 1A.
  3. ^ "I just walked out a hole in the plane". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). UPI. December 29, 1978. p. 1.
  4. ^ "Doomed jet's landing gear worked". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 30, 1978. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Lack of fuel suspected in DC-8 crash". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. December 30, 1978. p. 1A.
  6. ^ "Pilot blamed for DC-8 crash near Portland". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 7, 1979. p. 1A.