Aerospatiale Alenia ATR 42-320 N902FX

Summary

On 27 January 2009 at about 10:37 local time, a Aerospatiale Alenia ATR 42-320 registered N902FX, operated by Empire Airlines, was involved in an accident near Lubbock, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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

27 January 2009 at 10:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Lubbock, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Lubbock Preston Smith (LBB)

Coordinates

33.6581, -101.8203

Aircraft

Aerospatiale Alenia ATR 42-320

Registration

N902FX

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Empire Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Worth → Lubbock

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CEN09MA142

1 person was seriously injured.

The flight crew's failure to monitor and maintain a minimum safe airspeed while executing an instrument approach in icing conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude. Contributing to the accident were 1) the flight crew's failure to follow published standard operating procedures in response to a flap anomaly, 2) the captain's decision to continue with the unstabilized approach, 3) the flight crew's poor crew resource management, and 4) fatigue due to the time of day in which the accident occurred and a cumulative sleep debt, which likely impaired the captain's performance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-11/02. On January 27, 2009, about 0437 central standard time, an Avions de Transport Régional Aerospatiale Alenia ATR 42 320, N902FX, operating as Empire Airlines flight 8284, was on an instrument approach when it crashed short of the runway at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, Lubbock, Texas. The captain sustained serious injuries, and the first officer sustained minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Federal Express Corporation and operated by Empire Airlines, Inc., as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 supplemental cargo flight. The flight departed from Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Fort Worth, Texas, about 0313. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.