- Date
- November 8, 2000, 18:00 local (Nov 9, 2000, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Aberdeen, SD
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 24 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N402XJSaab 340-B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 23, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001108038739A
- Case key
- 50621
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 impact with the flock of snow geese.
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
The Captain reported the airplane was on the ILS approach at 600 feet above ground level when the airplane impacted a flock of snow geese. The Captain reported he decided to continue the approach for landing. Once on the ground the flight attendant informed the Captain there was a hole in the side of the airplane and that a passenger was injured. The Captain reported a doctor on board the airplane removed a piece of metal from the passenger's leg and administered first aid prior to the ambulance arriving. The Captain reported, "When we looked at aircraft 402 it was pretty messed up. There were geese in both intakes, three holes in the side, prop blades with pieces missing out of them, a side window busted, both front windows hit and one wiper gone, the other broke off to the side, one gear was hit and one flap."
Factual narrative
On November 8, 2000, at 1800 central standard time, a SAAB-340-B, N402XJ, operated by Mesaba Aviation, Inc., was substantially damaged when the airplane impacted a flock of geese during an approach for landing. The windshield wiper was torn from the airplane. The left composite propeller exhibited impact marks and chordwise scratching on the face of a propeller blade. Metal fragments punctured the left side of the fuselage and one of the fragments hit a passenger in the leg. The airplane landed without incident. The passenger was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment for minor injuries. The pilot, copilot, flight attendant, and the remaining 21 passengers were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 121 Mesaba flight 2831 had departed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota, and landed at the Aberdeen Regional Airport (ABR), Aberdeen, South Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed.
The Captain reported the airplane was on the ABR ILS Rwy 31 approach at 600 feet above ground level when the airplane impacted a flock of snow geese. The Captain reported he decided to continue the approach for landing. Once on the ground the flight attendant informed the Captain there was a hole in the side of the airplane and that a passenger was injured. The Captain reported a doctor on board the airplane removed a piece of metal from the passenger's leg and administered first aid prior to the ambulance arriving.
The Captain reported, "When we looked at aircraft 402 it was pretty messed up. There were geese in both intakes, three holes in the side, prop blades with pieces missing out of them, a side window busted, both front windows hit and one wiper gone, the other broke off to the side, one gear was hit and one flap."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N402XJ
- Reported as
- Saab 340-B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402
- Airframe hours
- 10,191
- Engine
- GE CT7-9B, 1,750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Mesaba Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Lambert Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 29, 2000 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- MSP · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- ABF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ABR · Aberdeen Regional
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,616 total · 1,814 in this make and model · 3,074 as pilot in command · 132 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.