# Accident 19971223039549A: Beech 1900D, Windsor Locks, CT, December 23, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 23, 1997, 09:03 local time - Place: Windsor Locks, CT - Airport: Bradley International - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane - Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121) - Operator: MASA - Location: 41.9390° N, 72.6843° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BRADLEY INTL (BDL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9390&lon=-72.6843&mi=10 - Aircraft: N140ZV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N140ZV-2010-05-24) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech 1900D (registry code 1154162, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-1900d) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 1900D - Reported engine: PWA PT6A67 - People aboard: 5 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 6,019 total, 2,629 in this make and model, 245 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA050) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971223039549A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. VISIBILITY REDUCED BY BLOWING SNOW TAXIING ON RAMP. STRUCK A 2FT HIGH PERPENICULAR SNOWBANK. MADE BY SNOW PLOW. (.19) ON DECEMBER 23, 1997, ABOUT 0903 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 1900D, N140ZV, OWNED BY MESA AIRLINES, INC., AND DOING BUSINESS AS USAIRWAYS EXPRESS FLIGHT 5286, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN ITS PROPELLERS STRUCK A SNOW BANK WHILE TAXING ON THE RAMP AT THE BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT. THE TWO FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT FLUSHING, NEW YORK, ABOUT 0831. AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 121. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT CREW, THE FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK TO WINDSOR LOCKS WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RAMP AREA BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC). THE PIC STATED THAT WHILE TAXIING ON THE RAMP TO THEIR GATE, THE VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. THE SECOND-IN-COMMAND (SIC) STATED THAT WHILE TAXIING, HE OBSERVED A SNOW BANK AS IT PASSED UNDER THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. BEFORE THE SIC COULD INFORM THE PIC OF THE SNOW BANK, HE HEARD A "SL APPING" NOISE ON THE SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE CREW THEN SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED TWO PROPELLER BLADES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE'S PROPELLER HUB, AND HAD STRUCK THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE. A TEAR WAS OBSERVED IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE SKIN, AND THE CABIN WINDOW IN THE VICINITY OF SEATS 1F AND 2F WAS PUSHED INTO THE FUSELAGE CABIN. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE INCLUDED A CRACKED FUSELAGE FRAME MEMBER AND THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE HAD SHIFTED. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE 28 INCH HIGH SNOW BANK THAT THE AIRPLANE TAXIED INTO, WAS ON THE RAMP TAXIWAY PERPENDICULAR TO THE AIRPLANE'S DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT. THE SNOW BANK WAS A RESULT OF AIRPORT SNOW PLOWING OPERATIONS. THE AIRPORT REPORTED THE VISIBILITY TO BE 1/4 MILE IN SNOW, AND THE WINDS WERE FROM 350 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS. (.4) AFTER LANDING, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RAMP BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC). THE VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. THE SECOND-IN-COMMAND (SIC) STATED THAT WHILE TAXIING, HE OBSERVED A SNOW BANK AS IT PASSED UNDER THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. BEFORE HE COULD INFORM TH AFTER LANDING, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RAMP BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC). THE VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. THE SECOND-IN-COMMAND (SIC) STATED THAT WHILE TAXIING, HE OBSERVED A SNOW BANK AS IT PASSED UNDER THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. BEFORE HE COULD INFORM THE PIC, HE HEARD A 'SLAPPING' NOISE ON THE SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED TWO PROPELLER BLADES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE'S PROPELLER HUB, AND HAD STRUCK THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE. THE AIRPLANE HAD TAXIED INTO A 28 INCH HIGH SNOW BANK THAT RAN PERPENDICULAR TO ITS PATH ACROSS THE RAMP. THE SNOW HAD BEEN LEFT ON THE RAMP BY AIRPORT SNOW PLOWING OPERATIONS. NEITHER THE AIRPORT NOTAMS NOR THE AIRPORTS TERMINAL INFORMATION SERVICE (ATIS) REPORTED THE SNOW BANKS ACROSS THE RAMP. DURING THE SAME TIME FRAME, AN AIRBUS AND A BOEING 727 BECAME STUCK WHILE TAXIING IN THE SNOW AT THE AIRPORT. (-23) ON DECEMBER 23, 1997, ABOUT 0915 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 1900D, N140ZV, OWNED BY MESA AIRLINES, INC. AND DOING BUSINESS AS US AIRWAYS EXPRESS FLIGHT 5288, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BA NK WHILE TAXIING ON THE RAMP AT THE BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, WINDSOR LOCKS, CT. THE FLIGHT CREW OF TWO AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT FLUSHING, NEW YORK. AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 121. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT CREW, THE FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK TO WINDSOR LOCKS WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIIED TO THE RAMP AREA BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC). THE PIC STATED THAT WHILE TAXIING ON THE RAMP TO THEIR GATE, THE VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. THE SECOND-IN-COMMAND (SIC) STATED THAT WHILE TAXIING, HE OBSERVED A SNOW BANK AS IT PASSED UNDER THE NOSE ON THE SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE CREW THEN SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED TWO PROPELLER BLADES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE'S PRPELLER HUB, AND HAD STRUCK THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE. A TEAR WAS OBSERVED IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE SKIN, AND THE CABIN WINDOW IN THE VICINITY OF SEATS 1F AND 2F WAS PUSHED INTO THE FUSELAGE CABIN . ADDITIONAL DAMAGE INCLUDED A CRACKED FUSELAGE FRAME MEMBER AND THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE HAD SHIFTED. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE 28 INCH HIGH SNOW BANK THAT THE AIRPLANE TAXIIED INTO, WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE AIRPLANE'S DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT, AND WAS A RESULT OF AIRPORT SNOW PLOWING OPERATIONS. THE AIRPORT REPORTED THE VISIBILITY TO BE 1/4 MILE IN SNOW, AND THE WINDS WERE FROM 350 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS. ## 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 NYC98LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA050), Dec 23, 1997: Beech 1900D (N140ZV), Windsor Locks, CT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadequate snow removal by airport personnel. Contributing factors were the snowbank and whiteout conditions. ## Other reports on N140ZV (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20021030034589I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021030034589I), Oct 30, 2002: Beech 1900D (N140ZV), Dallas-Ft Worth, TX, Minor damage. (-23) On October 30, 2002, at 15:30 local time, aircraft N140ZV enroute from hro to dfw, upon landing crew reported that the right brake assembly had bad brake… - [Incident 20020923027179I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020923027179I), Sep 23, 2002: Beech 1900D (N140ZV). (-23) While enroute from Kansas city Missouri, to dodge city, Kansas on flight 5663, the crew noticed that the cabin door annunciator illuminated at 16,000 ft.… - [Incident 20001023030699I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001023030699I), Oct 23, 2000: Beech 1900D (N140ZV), Kansas City, MO. (-23)On 10-23-00, at Kansas City International Airport, air midwest airlines enroute to witchita, Kansas, made a return landing. This was due to the battery… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.