- Date
- March 15, 1989, 07:26 local (12:26 UTC)
- Place
- West Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N128MPNihon YS-11A-600
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19890315004619A
- Case key
- 14429
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
A loss of control due to the improper inflight decisions by the crew and the undetected accumulation of ice on the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer, during flight in a forward center of gravity condition and exacerbated by the extension of full landing flaps.
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
An IFR flight was terminated with a visual approach. Conditions were conducive to airframe icing. The aircraft was being positioned empty, with a CG at 22.1% mac. On short final, at approximately 400 ft AGL, 35 degrees of landing flap was selected. The aircraft was observed to pitch downward to an unusual attitude and to enter a steep descent. A partial recovery was observed before the aircraft impacted a dirt hill 500 ft short of rwy 28. Examination of the airframe after the accident revealed 1/2 to 3/4 inch of rime ice adhering to the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. No ice was found on any other portion of the airframe. Evidence in the cockpit indicated that engine, pitot, and windshield anti-ice systems were on, but wing/empennage deice was off. No evidence of a powerplant or systems malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N128MP
- Reported as
- Nihon YS-11A-600
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2139
- Airframe hours
- 24,088
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce DART 542-10J, 2,680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Mid Pacific Airlines
- Registered owner
- Koa Holdings, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 25, 1989 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- HUF · Terre Haute, IN
- Destination
- LAF · West Lafayette, IN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LAF · Purdue University Airport, runway 28, 6,600 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,294 total · 2,097 in this make and model · 6,294 as pilot in command · 61 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 280° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAF, 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.