- Date
- April 24, 2008, 09:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Minneapolis, MN
- Injuries
- 80 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N918XJBombardier CL600-2D24
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Mesaba, Federal Aviation Administration, Bombardier Aerospace
- FAA report
- 20080424847439I
- Case key
- 67950
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
The flying pilot's incorrect use of the thrust lever leading to the dual engine shutdown during taxi. Contributing to the incident was the flying pilot's lack of total experience in the make and model of airplane.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight crew was taxiing the airplane to the runway for departure. The auxiliary power unit had been shut down. The airplane accelerated to cross a runway and was rolling on a taxiway when both engines stopped producing power. The incident flight was part of the captain's initial operating experience as a captain on the CL600. At the time of the incident, the captain had accumulated six hours of total flight time in the CL600. The captain had previously been a pilot on Saab 340 turboprop airplanes. The power lever on the Saab 340 can be moved forward into the ground idle and flight idle positions and rearward into the reverse position. The Saab 340 power lever has a latch that is designed to be lifted to allow the power lever below flight idle. The thrust levers on the CL600 can be moved forward into the idle, climb, takeoff, go-around, and maximum power positions and rearward into the shut off position. The CL600 thrust lever is designed with a latch that has to be lifted to allow movement of the thrust lever into the shut off position. The flight data recorder showed that an application of power occurred about ten seconds from the end of the recording. The recorder shows an engine thrust lever going to the shutoff position near the end of the recording.
Factual narrative
On April 24, 2008, about 0910 central daylight time, a Bombardier Inc, CL600-2D24, N918XJ, operated by Mesaba Airlines as flight 3427, was taxiing for takeoff at the Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport (MSP), near Minneapolis, Minnesota, when it lost power in both of its engines. The 2 flight crewmembers, 2 cabin crewmembers, and 76 passengers onboard were uninjured. The airplane sustained no damage. The scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was destined for the Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois.
According to the operator, the flight crew was taxiing to runway 17 for departure. The auxiliary power unit had been turned off. The airplane, during the taxi, was being held short of runway 12R on part of taxiway M. The airplane was accelerated to cross the runway and was rolling on taxiway W when both engines stopped producing power.
The incident flight was part of the captain's initial CL600 operating experience. The operator reported that the captain had accumulated 5,097 hours of total flight time in multiengine airplanes and had accumulated six hours of total flight time in the CL600. The captain had previously been a pilot on Saab 340 turboprop airplanes.
The power lever on the Saab 340 can be moved forward into the ground idle and flight idle positions and rearward into the reverse position. The power lever has a latch that is designed to be lifted to allow the power lever below flight idle.
The thrust levers on the CL600-2D24 can be moved forward into the idle, climb, takeoff, go-around, and maximum power positions and rearward into the shut off position. The thrust lever is designed with a latch that has to be lifted to allow movement of the thrust lever into the shut off position.
The operator supplied flight data recorder data from the incident flight. The data is consistent with an application of power about ten seconds from the end of the recording. The recorder shows an engine thrust lever going to the shutoff position near the end of the recording.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N918XJ
- Reported as
- Bombardier CL600-2D24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15156
- Airframe hours
- 388
- Engines
- GE CF34-8C5, 14,510 lbs thrust, turbo fanGE CF34-8C5, 14,510 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Mesaba Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Northwest Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 7, 2008
- Departed
- MSP · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MSP · Minneapolis-St Paul Intl.
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 11, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,661 total · 6 in this make and model · 2,846 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Check pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 9, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 14,770 total · 362 in this make and model · 12,750 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 86 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.