# NTSB DCA90MA011: British Aerospace BAE-3101, N410UE, Pasco, WA, December 27, 1989

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 1 · Major · Final report
- Date: December 26, 1989, 22:30 local (Dec 27, 1989, 06:30 UTC)
- Place: Pasco, WA
- Location: 46.2649° N, 119.1194° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at TRI-CITIES (PSC), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.2649&lon=-119.1194&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 6 fatal
- Status: Completed, report October 8, 1992
- Report: Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class: Class 1
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations: Yes
- NTSB case key (mKey): 15932
- NTSB case page: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA90MA011.aspx
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/15932/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA90MA011

## Probable cause

THE FLIGHTCREW'S DECISION TO CONTINUE AN UNSTABILIZED INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS) APPROACH THAT LED TO A STALL, MOST LIKELY OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND LOSS OF CONTROL AT LOW ALTITUDE.  CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER'S IMPROPER VECTORS THAT POSITIONED THE AIRPLANE INSIDE THE OUTER MARKER WHILE IT WAS STILL WELL ABOVE THE GLIDESLOPE.  CONTRIBUTING TO THE STALL AND LOSS OF CONTROL WAS THE ACCUMULATION OF AIRFRAME ICE THAT DEGRADED THE AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRPLANE.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight encounter with weather, approach
  - light condition - dark night
  - weather condition - low ceiling
  - weather condition - icing conditions (contributing factor)
  - wing - ice (contributing factor)
  - horizontal stabilizer surface - ice (contributing factor)
- Loss of control - in flight, approach - faf/outer marker to threshold (ifr)
  - artcc service - inadequate, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
  - ifr procedure - improper, pilot in command (cause)
  - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause)
  - airspeed - inadequate, pilot in command
  - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled

## Analysis

DURING ARRIVAL FOR AN ILS RWY 21R APCH, THE ACFT ENCTRD ICING CONDS FOR ABOUT 9-1/2 MIN. AS THE ACFT WAS VECTORED FOR THE APCH, THE SEATTLE ARTCC CTLR USED AN EXPANDED RADAR RANGE & DID NOT PROVIDE PRECISE PSNG OF THE ACFT TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. THE FLT CREW ATMTD TO CONT ON A STEEP, UNSTABILIZED APCH FOR A LNDG. RECORDED RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT THE ACFT WAS WELL TO THE RGT OF THE ILS COURSE LINE & WELL ABOVE THE GLIDE SLOPE AS IT PASSED THE OUTER MARKER/FINAL APCH FIX (FAF). IT DID NOT INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER COURSE UNTIL IT WAS ABT 1.5 MI INSIDE THE FAF. ALSO, IT WAS STILL WELL ABOVE THE ILS GLIDE SLOPE WERE RECORDED ALT DATA WAS LOST WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABT 2.5 MI FM THE ARPT. THE TWR HAD CLOSED, BUT THE CTLR SAW THE ACFT IN A HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE OF DSCNT IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. BFR RCHG THE RWY, THE ACFT NOSED OVER & CRASHED IN A STEEP DSCNT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT ICE HAD ACCUMULATED ON THE AIRFRAME, INCLUDING THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS, WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A TAIL PLANE STALL. (SEE: NTSB/AAR-91/06)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N410UE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N410UE-1990-04-12), registration cancelled 1990-04-12, S/N 776 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BRITISH AEROSPACE BAE-3101
- Registry model: [British Aerospace BAE JETSTREAM 3101](https://openairdocs.org/model/british-aerospace-bae-jetstream-3101) (registry code 1500216) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 776
- Engines: GARRETT TPE-331 900 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: Npa/United Express, doing business as United Express
- Departed: YKM, YAKIMA, WA
- Destination: PSC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: PSC, Tri-Cities, runway 21R, 7,700 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 38; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; flight hours: 6,600 total, 670 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature: 32 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: WWL

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19891226053219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19891226053219A), Dec 26, 1989: Bag JETSTM3101, Pasco, WA, Destroyed, 6 fatal. On close in unstabilized approach stalled 600 feet from runway. Airframe icing and ATC vectors were factors.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.