Flight and Incident Overview
United Airlines Flight 173 was a scheduled passenger service from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon, with an intermediate stop in Denver, Colorado. On December 28, 1978, the aircraft operating the flight, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61, experienced a landing gear issue and subsequently ran out of fuel while troubleshooting the problem. The airplane crashed in a suburban Portland neighborhood near the intersection of NE 157th Avenue and East Burnside Street.
Occupants and Fatalities
The flight carried passengers and crew. As a direct result of the crash, ten individuals on board lost their lives.
Aircraft and Operator
The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61. The airline operating the flight was United Airlines.
Location and Circumstances
The accident occurred in a residential area of Portland, Oregon. The precise location was near NE 157th Avenue and East Burnside Street. The crew had been occupied with diagnosing a landing gear malfunction when fuel exhaustion set in, leading to the loss of power and the subsequent crash.
Investigation and Findings
Official investigation into the accident determined that the aircraft ran out of fuel. The source does not provide a stated probable cause beyond the fact that fuel exhaustion occurred while the crew was attending to the landing gear issue.