# Accident 19970813022119A: Beech 1900C, Seattle, WA, August 13, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 13, 1997, 19:13 local time
- Place: Seattle, WA
- Airport: Seattle-Tacoma International
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: JIKA
- Location: 47.4408° N, 122.2800° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.4408&lon=-122.2800&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3172A, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3172A-1998-03-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 1900C (registry code 1154161, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-1900c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 1900C
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A65B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,370 total, 106 in this make and model, 123 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA97FA188](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97FA188) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970813022119A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT CLEARED TO LAND, APPEARED TO STALL, DROPPED 100FT ONTO RUNWAY, CRASHED AND BURNED. (.4)THE BEECH 1900C CARGO AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH MORE THAN 4,962 POUNDS OF CARGO DURING AN APPROXIMATE 20 MINUTE PERIOD. NO SCALE WAS AVAILABLE AT THE AIRCRAFT, FORCING LOADERS TO RELY ON TALLYING EITHER WAYBILL WEIGHTS OR ESTIMATES OF TOTAL CARGO WEIGHT AND CENTER OF GRAVITY (CG) DURING THE BRIEF LOADING PERIOD. ADDITIONALLY, A STRIKE HAD SHUT DOWN A MAJOR CARGO COMPETITOR AT THE TIME WITH SUBSTANTIAL CARGO OVERFLOW TO THE OPERATOR. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION DETERMINED THE CARGO LOAD WAS 656 POUNDS GREATER THAN THAT DOCUMENTED ON THE PILOT'S LOAD MANIFEST, AND THE CG WAS BETWEEN 6.8 AND 11.3 INCHES AFT OF THE AFT LIMIT. THE AIRPLANE BEHAVED NORMALLY, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, UNTIL HE INITIATED FULL FLAPS FOR LANDING APPROACHING THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 34L AT THE SEATTLE-TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. AT THIS TIME, THE AIRCRAFT'S AIRSPEED BEGAN TO DECAY RAPIDLY AND A HIGH SINK RATE DEVELOPED AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO A STALL/MUSH CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT THEN LANDED HARD, OVERLOADING THE NOSE AND LEFT-MAIN LANDING GEAR WHICH COLLAPSED.                                                           A POST-IMPACT FUEL SYSTEM LEAK DURING THE GROUND SLIDE LED TO A POST-CRASH FIRE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA97FA188](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97FA188), Aug 14, 1997: Beech 1900C (N3172A), Seattle, WA, destroyed. Probable cause: A stall/mush condition resulting from an aft center of gravity which was inaccurately provided to the pilot-in-command by contractual cargo-loading personnel. Additional causes were overloading of…

## Other reports on N3172A (3)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19901214061079I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19901214061079I), Dec 14, 1990: Beech 1900 (N3172A), New Haven, CT. Right engine fire warning on takeoff. Fired bottle. Returned. Replaced fire loop.
- [Incident 19900403015229I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900403015229I), Apr 3, 1990: Beech 1900 (N3172A), Elmira, NY. Circuit breaker popped on rollout when cycled flaps up. Serviced all flap switches.
- [Incident 19890409016919I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890409016919I), Apr 9, 1989: Beech 1900 (N3172A), Pittsburgh, PA. Unable to control flaps after takeoff. Returned and landed safely. Flap drive motor had failed.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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