- Date
- September 14, 1991, 18:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Muskegon, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 25 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N243ATATR ATR 42-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910914044459A
- Case key
- 15191
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 failure, for reasons unknown, of the number four bearing in the high pressure spool of the engine.
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
During cruise flight smoke entered the cabin and cockpit. The crew made a precautionary landing. The flight attendant commanded an evacuation, on the captain's order, through the rear exits of the aircraft. One passenger sustained serious injuries (a broken ankle) during the evacuation. Subsequent investigation revealed a failed bearing in the left engine. A shaft shifted and allowed the destruction of an oil seal. Oil entered the cabin air system and was emitted in to the cabin and cockpit as smoke.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N243AT
- Reported as
- ATR ATR 42-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 243
- Engine
- P&W PW120, 2,000 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Simmons Airlines
- Registered owner
- Amr Leasing Corp.
- Departed
- TVC · Traverse City, MI
- Destination
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MKG · Muskegon County, runway 6, 6,501 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 4,346 total · 700 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 14,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- MKG, 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.