Airline History Museum Loses ‘Derelict 727′ to Scrapper

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 05:32 PM ET

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The 1978 Boeing 727, painted in American Airlines livery and carrying the number N874AA, was signed over to the Airline History Museum in 2016. King County International Airport–Boeing Field

Key Takeaways:

A 1978 Boeing 727, previously owned by the Airline History Museum (AHM) for restoration, was demolished at King County International Airport (KBFI) after a court declared it a nuisance.
King County stated the demolition was due to the AHM owing approximately $17,000 in back rent since 2018 and failing to make the aircraft airworthy or remove it following a 2020 court order.
The AHM alleges King County obstructed their efforts to prepare the aircraft by denying access, demanding excessive insurance, and rejecting valid FAA documentation, thereby preventing relocation or rent payment.
Despite a last-minute subpoena from the AHM, King County proceeded with the demolition, deeming the legal action too late to override the existing court judgment.

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It’s said that one person’s treasure is another person’s trash. This played out last week at King County International Airport (KBFI) in Seattle, where the county oversaw the demolition of what it describes in a media release as a “derelict 727.” According to the release, “A court action last year declared the aircraft a nuisance and allows King County to remove the airplane.”

The 1978 Boeing 727, painted in American Airlines livery and carrying the number N874AA, belonged to the Museum of Flight at KBFI until 2016, when it was signed over to the Airline History Museum (AHM) in Kansas City, Missouri.