CHI08IA119

NTSB incident investigation · Bombardier CL600-2D24 · Minneapolis, MN · April 24, 2008

Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal report
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.

Engine controls: power leverAircraft › Aircraft power plant · Incorrect use/operationBombardier CL-600-2D24: 1 caseAll aircraft: 95 casesProbable cause

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.