Saab-Fairchild 340A N363MA

Summary

On 22 November 1989 at about 16:24 local time, a Saab-Fairchild 340A registered N363MA, operated by Metro Flight, was involved in an incident near Beaumont, Texas, United States. 37 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 November 1989 at 16:24

Classification

Incident

Location

Beaumont, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPT)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Saab-Fairchild 340A

Registration

N363MA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Metro Flight

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dfw Airport → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW90IA030

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADJUSTED VREF AND PROPER DESCENT RATES DURING THE APPROACH. THE PILOT DELAYED DECISION TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND AND THE COPILOT FAILED TO MONITOR THE POORLY FLOWN APPROACH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RAIN AND WIND SHEAR ENCOUNTERED DURING THE APPROACH AND THE CREW'S POOR EVALUATION OF THAT WEATHER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DUE TO SHOWERS ON THE ILS RUNWAY, THE CREW ELECTED TO CIRCLE AND LAND RWY 30. MDA WAS 540 FT, ADJUSTED VREF WAS 130 KTS. AT THE 90 DEGREE POSITION TO THE RWY, IAS WAS 131 KTS. ALTITUDE WAS 528 FT. DURING THE DESCENDING BASE TO FINAL TURN, THE POWER WENT TO FLIGHT IDLE. THE AIRSPEED WENT BELOW ADJUSTED VREF, AND THE RADAR ALTITUDE WENT DOWN TO 176 FEET. THE RADAR ALTITUDE WAS 56 FEET, AND THE AIRPSEED WAS 112 KNOTS WHEN THE TORQUE STARTED TO INCREASE. LOWEST RADAR ALTITUDE WAS 16 FEET, AND LOWEST AIRSPEED WAS 100 KNOTS. AIRPLANE IMPACTED TOPS OF TREES, APRX 2,200 FEET FROM APCH END OF RUNWAY. PIC SAID THAT DURING TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, F/O LOST SIGHT OF RUNWAY IN A RAINSHOWER AND A GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED. PIC OF AIRPLANE, WAITING AT HOLD LINE FOR WX TO IMPROVE BEFORE TAKEOFF, SAW THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEAR BEHIND TREES, DURING HEAVY RAIN. HIS F/O CALLED IT A WALL OF WATER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.