NTSB CAROL · Event
Event SEA00IA057
Registry · N667FE
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A300 F4-605R
Year of manufacture
1996 · 4 years old at event
TCDS
A35EU · AIRBUS SAS
Engine
GE CF6-80 SERIES
Seats / Engines
380 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
19961003
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A8CEBC
Registrant of record
FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
An oil leak from the aircraft's APU that subsequently contaminated the aircraft's environmental system.
Factual narrative
On March 28, 2000, about 1708 Pacific standard time, an Airbus A300-600, N667FE, registered to First Security Bank, and operated by Federal Express, Inc, a Title 14 CFR 121 supplemental cargo flight, declared an emergency due to smoke in the cockpit while on approach to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington (the aircraft's scheduled destination). Shortly after declaring the emergency, the aircraft landed without further incident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed. The airline transport pilot-in-command and first officer were uninjured. The flight originated from Indianapolis, Indiana, about 4 hours prior to the incident. Maintenance personnel from Federal Express reported that a post flight inspection of the aircraft revealed a significant oil leak originating from the auxiliary power unit (APU). They also reported that the oil leaking from the APU had contaminated the environmental system resulting in smoke in the cockpit. While on final approach to the airport, the flight declared an emergency due to smoke in the cockpit. Shortly after declaring the emergency, the aircraft landed without further incident. Maintenance personnel reported that a post flight inspection of the aircraft revealed a significant oil leak originating from the auxiliary power unit (APU). They also reported that the oil leaking from the APU had contaminated the environmental system resulting in smoke in the cockpit. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2000_SEA00IA057.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗