- Date
- April 3, 1990, 05:45 local (10:45 UTC)
- Place
- West Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N112MPNihon YS-11A-600F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900403012689I
- Case key
- 14567
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
An undetected accumulation of ice on the horizontal stabilizer. Relating factors were the manufacturer's lack of information and aircraft manuals relative to the understanding of, and appropriate procedures to prevent the loss of control.
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 transport category aircraft was returning to the home base empty (ballast only). Weather conditions existed which were conducive to airframe icing. On final approach, when landing flaps were selected, the aircraft pitched nose down accompanied by buffeting of the airframe. The captain took control (first officer had been flying) and added full power. The first officer selected 15 degrees flap. The aircraft recovered, but continued to exhibit buffeting. The aircraft diverted to an airport with a longer runway and a successful landing was accomplished. Subsequent investigation revealed substantial ice accumulation outside the booted area on the horizontal tail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N112MP
- Reported as
- Nihon YS-11A-600F (YS-11A-600)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2105
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce DART 542-10J, 2,750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Mid Pacific Air Corp.
- Departed
- YIP · Detroit, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LAF · Purdue University, runway 10, 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 9,677 total · 3,341 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.