Boeing 727 Trivia Quiz

Answer: United

Development of the 727 was spurred by the needs of three different airlines. American Airlines wanted a two-engine aircraft for greater efficiency on shorter routes. Eastern Airlines wanted a three-engine jet to extend its range for over-water flights to the Caribbean. And United wanted a four-engine plane to fly to higher-altitude destinations, including its hub in Denver.

The tri-jet design adopted by Boeing first flew on February 9, 1963. United received the first aircraft, a 727-100, and began flying commercial routes with it in February, 1964. Eastern Airlines also began flying the aircraft around the same time.

Answer: A-6 Intruder

According to Boeing's website, the Pratt & Whitney JT8D was the first engine ever tailor-made for a specific aircraft. In addition to the 727, it has also been used on Boeing 737, McDonnell Douglas DC-9, and the Dassault Mercure, a French-built passenger jet.

It was also used on the McDonnell Douglas YC-15 (the forerunner of the C-17 Globemaster III military cargo aircraft). And Mitsubishi has built the engine for the Kawasaki C-1 transport used by Japan's Self-Defense Force.

Answer: 189

Twenty feet longer than the 727-100, the 727-200 could accommodate up to 189 passengers. Fully loaded, it had a maximum range of 2,400 nautical miles (2,762 statute miles, or 4,445 kilometers).

Answer: Morocco

King Hassan II was the target of two failed assassination attempts in the 1970s. The second one, which occurred in August, 1972, was orchestrated by Moroccan defense minister General Mohammad Oufkir. Oufkir, previously loyal to the king, ordered the Royal Moroccan Air Force to shoot down the king's 727 as it was making its way into the capital of Rabat. Officially, Oufkir's death after the failed coup is listed as a suicide. Hassan awarded the aircraft, which survived the shootdown attempt, a medal.

Answer: C-22

Operated specifically by the 201st Airlift Squadron of the District of Columbia Air National Guard, the C-22 was based on the 727-100 airframe. With a range of 2,000 miles, the C-22 accommodated a crew of up to 8 people.

The other aircraft listed here are based on other aircraft. The C-9 was based on the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airframe. The Alenia C-27 uses the engines and systems of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. And the C-40 is the transport version of the Boeing 737.

Answer: Delta

Delta was one of many airlines around the world to utilize the 727. According to Boeing, the aircraft carried its one billionth passenger in December, 1977, and has carried over 4 billion altogether during its lifetime.

Answer: San Diego

This deadly collision happened as Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was making its final approach to Lindbergh Field. The crew of the 727 lost sight of the Cessna 172, which was flying under visual flight rules, but didn't report that loss to the approach controllers on the ground.

It wasn't until the 727 had put down its landing gear that it realized, too late, that the Cessna was below them. All 128 passengers and 7 crew members were killed, as were the two pilots on board the Cessna and 7 people on the ground.

Answer: Pan Am

Pam Am Flight 759, a 727-235 known as the Clipper Defiance, took off from New Orleans on the second leg of a regularly-scheduled flight from Miami to Las Vegas. At the time, there were thunderstorms over the eastern end of the field, and a microburst from that storm knocked the aircraft down during takeoff.

The 727 crashed into a residential area in the suburb of Kenner, where the airport is actually located. All seven crew members and 153 passengers were killed in the crash, as were 8 people on the ground.

Answer: U.S. Marshals

The sequel to the popular 1993 motion picture "The Fugitive", the 1998 release "U.S. Marshals" featured Wesley Snipes in the role of a CIA operative who is implicated in the deaths of several State Department security agents. Like the train crash that freed Harrison Ford's character in "The Fugitive", the crash of the 727 allows Snipes's character to escape, and for Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) to give chase.

Answer: FedEx

According to Boeing, in September, 1981, FedEx placed an order for 15 727-200Fs, the freighter variant of the 727. The final aircraft of the 1,832 that Boeing produced completed this order. The 727-200F could carry up to 58,000 pounds of cargo.