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Crash of a Canadair RegionalJet CRJ-200LR in Jefferson City: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 2004 at 2215 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N8396A
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Little Rock – Minneapolis
MSN:
7396
YOM:
2000
Flight number:
NW3701
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
6900
Captain / Total hours on type:
973.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
761
Copilot / Total hours on type:
222
Aircraft flight hours:
10168
Aircraft flight cycles:
9613
Circumstances:
On October 14, 2004, about 2215:06 central daylight time, Pinnacle Airlines flight 3701 (doing business as Northwest Airlink), a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, N8396A, crashed into a residential area about 2.5 miles south of Jefferson City Memorial Airport, Jefferson City, Missouri. The airplane was on a repositioning flight from Little Rock National Airport, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the flight, both engines flamed out after a pilot-induced aerodynamic stall and were unable to be restarted. The captain and the first officer were killed, and the airplane was destroyed. No one on the ground was injured.
Probable cause:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes of this accident were:
1) the pilots' unprofessional behavior, deviation from standard operating procedures, and poor airmanship, which resulted in an in-flight emergency from which they were unable to recover, in part because of the pilots' inadequate training;
2) the pilots' failure to prepare for an emergency landing in a timely manner, including communicating with air traffic controllers immediately after the emergency about the loss of both engines and the availability of landing sites; and
3) the pilots' failure to achieve and maintain the target airspeed in the double engine failure checklist, which caused the engine cores to stop rotating and resulted in the core lock engine condition.
Contributing to this accident were:
1) the engine core lock condition, which prevented at least one engine from being restarted, and
2) the airplane flight manuals that did not communicate to pilots the importance of maintaining a minimum airspeed to keep the engine cores rotating.
Final Report:

Ground accident of an Avro RJ85 in Memphis

Date & Time: Oct 15, 2002 at 1224 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N528XJ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
E2353
YOM:
1999
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following maintenance at Memphis Airport facilities, a crew of two technicians was ferrying the aircraft from the hangar to the main terminal. While approaching the C2 gate, the aircraft could not be stopped in time and collided with the jet bridge. Both occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a BAe 3101 Jetstream 31 in Hibbing: 18 killed

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1993 at 1950 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N334PX
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Minneapolis - Hibbing
MSN:
706
YOM:
1986
Flight number:
NW5719
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Captain / Total flying hours:
7852
Captain / Total hours on type:
2266.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2019
Copilot / Total hours on type:
65
Aircraft flight hours:
17156
Aircraft flight cycles:
21593
Circumstances:
While on a localizer back course approach the airplane collided with trees and the terrain approximately 3 miles from the runway threshold. The captain delayed the start of the descent that subsequently required an excessive descent rate to reach the FAF and MDH. The captain's actions led to distractions during critical phases of the approach. The flightcrew lost altitude awareness and allowed the airplane to descend below mandatory level off points. The captain's record raised questions about his airmanship and behavior that suggested a lack of crew coordination during flight operations, including intimidation of first officers. Company management did not address these matters adequately. The airline's flight operations management failed to implement provisions to adequately oversee the training of their flight crews and the operation of their aircraft. FAA guidance to their inspectors concerning implementation of ops bulletins is inadequate and has failed to transmit valuable safety information as intended to airlines. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 18 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The captain's actions that led to a breakdown in crew coordination and the loss of altitude awareness by the flight crew during an unstabilized approach in night instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident were: the failure of the company management to adequately address the previously identified deficiencies in airmanship and crew resource management of the captain; the failure of the company to identify and correct a widespread, unapproved practice during instrument approach procedures; and the Federal Aviation Administration's inadequate surveillance and oversight of the air carrier.
Final Report:

Crash of a BAe 3101 Jetstream 31 in Joplin

Date & Time: Dec 14, 1987 at 1358 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N331PX
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Memphis - Joplin
MSN:
700
YOM:
1986
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
4864
Captain / Total hours on type:
414.00
Aircraft flight hours:
3470
Circumstances:
The captain stated that he had planned the approach at a higher-than-normal airspeed and altitude due to a reported low level windshear. At 400 feet agl the aircraft entered a light downdraft but the crew corrected the descent profile with power. At 200 feet agl the aircraft suddenly, according to the captain, pitched down before impacting the runway. Witnesses stated that the aircraft pitched down on short final, leveled off, then slammed onto the runway on all wheels. It then bounced, pitched down again and impacted the runway nose-first. A subsequent inspection, operational test, and teardown of the airplane's stall protection system found it to be functioning satisfactorily. The two powerplants also tested within normal parameters.
Probable cause:
Occurrence #1: loss of control - in flight
Phase of operation: approach - faf/outer marker to threshold (ifr)
Findings
1. (c) planned approach - improper - pilot in command
2. (c) compensation for wind conditions - inadequate - pilot in command
----------
Occurrence #2: hard landing
Phase of operation: landing - flare/touchdown
Findings
3. (c) flare - improper - pilot in command
4. Weather condition - windshear
5. Aborted landing - not performed - pilot in command
6. (f) recovery from bounced landing - improper - pilot in command
----------
Occurrence #3: complete gear collapsed
Phase of operation: landing - roll
Findings
7. (f) terrain condition - berm
Final Report:

Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 200 in Detroit: 9 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1987 at 1434 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N160FB
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cleveland - Detroit
MSN:
160
YOM:
1980
Flight number:
NW2268
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Captain / Total flying hours:
17953
Captain / Total hours on type:
3144.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1593
Aircraft flight hours:
12918
Aircraft flight cycles:
24218
Circumstances:
At 14:30 the flight was cleared for a runway 21R visual approach and was cleared to land one minute later, At a height of 60-70 feet the aircraft suddenly yawed violently to the left and banked left 80-90° in a descent. The aircraft then rolled right and struck the ramp area 1,010 feet inside and to the left of the runway 21R threshold. It then skidded 398 feet, struck three ground support vehicles in front of Gate F10 at Concourse F and caught fire. Both pilots and seven passengers were killed, 10 other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
The captain's inability to control the airplane in an attempt to recover from an asymmetric power condition at low speed following his intentional use of the beta mode of propeller operation to descend and slow the airplane rapidly on final approach for landing. Factors that contributed to the accident were an unstabilized visual approach, the presence of a departing DC-9 on the runway, the desire to make a short field landing, and the higher-than-normal flight idle fuel flow settings of both engines. The lack of fire-blocking material in passenger seat cushions contributed to the severity of the injuries.
Final Report: