- Date
- January 12, 1992, 14:18 local (19:18 UTC)
- Place
- Baltimore, MD
- Injuries
- 33 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N923HAde Havilland DHC-8-102
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 7, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920112004129I
- Case key
- 11741
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper installation of the low fuel pressure warning switch snubber on the #1 engine, resulting in fatigue failure of the snubber, a fuel leak (spray), and subsequent explosion/fire damage. A factor related to the incident was: inadequate design of the firewall, which allowed fuel vapors to migrate to the hot section of the engine.
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
As the gear & flaps were retracted after takeoff, the #1 engine low fuel pressure warning light illuminated. At about 400' AGL, a "loud bang" was heard followed by a #1 engine fire warning indication. The engine was shut down & both fire extinguishing bottles were discharged. The flightcrew extended the landing gear by using the alternate system & made a no-flap emergency landing. They used emergency brakes, but directional control was lost & the aircraft exited the side of the runway & stopped with the fire extinguished. An exam of the #1 engine area revealed a failed low fuel pressure warning switch snubber & fire damage to the engine, nacelle & wheelwell. There was evidence that during installation, the low fuel pressure warning switch snubber was torsionally deformed, then fatigue & subsequent failure occurred. Gaps in the firewall allowed leaking fuel (spray) to enter the hot section & ignite. This resulted in an explosion & fire. Fire propagation resulted in burned wires to the #1 standby hydraulic pump & a ruptered #2 system hydraulic line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N923HA
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-8-102
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 99
- Airframe hours
- 9,965
- Engine
- P&W PW120A, 2,100 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Usair Express, doing business as Henson Aviation
- Registered owner
- Westinghouse Credit Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 9, 1992 · 96 hours before
- Destination
- CHO · Charlottesville, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BWI · Baltimore-Washington Intl, runway 22, 6,005 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,890 total · 3,120 in this make and model · 159 in the last 90 days · 64 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 122 °F, dew point 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.