- Date
- July 20, 1988, 16:08 local (20:08 UTC)
- Place
- Chantilly, VA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7267de Havilland DHC-6-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880720027129A
- Case key
- 11372
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot inadvertently misused the flaps, by failing to set the flaps to the proper setting. The flaps were set full down. This caused the aircraft to pitch up steeply after liftoff. Additionally, the flight control lock was probably installed during some portion, if not the entire flight, which prevented flight control operation. The pilot subsequently failed to maintain adequate flying speed and the aircraft stalled. Contributing factors are the pilot's inattention and his failure to adequately use the checklist.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
This was the first flight after a maintenance inspection. The flaps were left full down after a post-inspection by company mechanics, before the flight. Witnesses stated the flaps were down when the aircraft taxied to takeoff on rwy 19L. Witnesses stated the aircraft climbed steeply after it lifted off with a pitch attitude up to 60 degrees. According to witnesses, the aircraft climbed to 200 to 500 ft AGL, before it stalled and descended nose down in a left turn. The aircraft crashed about 300 ft left of and 2000 ft down the rwy. Examination of the aircraft revealed the flaps were full down. The scroll type checklist was positioned at the beginning of the takeoff check. The flight manual recommends a 10 degree flap setting for takeoff and prohibits flap full down takeoff. Review of previous DHC-6 accidents involving flap full down resulted in a steep takeoff climb and excessive pitch attitude followed by a stall. The position of the control lock suggests it may have been in the locked position drg the tkof.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7267
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-6-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 195
- Airframe hours
- 10,513
- Engine
- P&W PT-6A-20A, 579 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fairways Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 19, 1988 · 1 hours before
- Destination
- DCA · Washington, DC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- IAD · Dulles Int'L, runway 19L, 11,500 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,400 total · 120 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.