Dornier DO-328-300 N328PD

Summary

On 3 June 2006 at about 11:19 local time, a Dornier DO-328-300 registered N328PD, operated by East Coast Flight Services, Inc., was involved in an accident near Manassas, Virginia, United States. 8 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 June 2006 at 11:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Manassas, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Manassas Regional Airport (HEF)

Coordinates

38.7314, -77.5225

Aircraft

Dornier DO-328-300

Registration

N328PD

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

East Coast Flight Services, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manassas → Myrtle Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC06FA138

1 person had minor injuries.

The partially blocked pitot system, which resulted in an inaccurate airspeed indicator display, and an overrun during an aborted takeoff. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot-in-command's delayed decision to abort the takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departure on the maintenance repositioning flight, the captain discussed with the first officer an uneven fuel balance that they could "fix" once airborne, and a 25,000 feet msl restriction because of an inoperative air conditioning/pressurization pack. The captain also commented about the right pack "misbehaving", and a bleed valve failure warning. The captain also commented about aborting below 80 knots for everything, except for the bleed shutoff valve. During the takeoff roll, a single chime was heard, and the first officer reported a bleed valve fail message. The captain responded, "ignore it." Another chime was heard, and the first officer reported "lateral mode fail, pusher fail." The captain asked about airspeed and was advised of an "indicated airspeed miscompare." The captain initiated the aborted takeoff approximately 13 seconds after the second chime was heard. The crew was unable to stop the airplane, and it went off the end of the runway, and impacted obstructions and terrain. According to the flight data recorder, peak groundspeed was 152 knots and the time the aborted takeoff was initiated, and indicated airspeed was 78.5 knots. The captain and the airplane owner's director of maintenance were aware of several mechanical discrepancies prior to the flight, and the captain had advised the first officer that the flight was for "routine maintenance," but that the airplane was airworthy. Prior to the flight the first officer found "reddish clay" in one of the pitot tubes and removed it. A mechanic and the captain examined the pitot tube, and determined the tube was not obstructed. The captain's pitot tube was later found to be partially blocked with an insect nest. A postaccident examination of the airplane and aircraft maintenance log revealed that no discrepancies were entered in the log, and no placards or "inoperative" decals were affixed in the cockpit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.