- Date
- January 8, 1993, 12:03 local (17:03 UTC)
- Place
- Detroit, MI
- Injuries
- 9 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N826MAde Havilland DHC-8-102
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930108002069I
- Case key
- 15592
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 manufacturer's inadequate design of the fuel transfer tube system, which loosened/disconnected during engine operation.
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
As the airplane climbed through about 200 feet during departure, the left engine quit. The flight crew performed emergency procedures and landed without further incident. Postaccident investigation revealed the fuel transfer tubes loosened and separated from their sleeves, which allowed fuel to be discharged in the nacelle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N826MA
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-8-102
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 330
- Airframe hours
- 987
- Engine
- P&W PW120A, 2,000 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Mesaba Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Rainier Aircraft Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 16, 1992 · 128 hours before
- Departed
- DTW
- Destination
- ROA · Roanoke, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DTW · Detroit Metropolitan
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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,313 total · 193 in this make and model · 2,383 as pilot in command · 193 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DTW, 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.