- Date
- March 22, 1992, 21:35 local (Mar 23, 1992, 02:35 UTC)
- Place
- Flushing, NY
- Injuries
- 27 fatal, 9 serious, 12 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N485USFokker 28-4000
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19920322006959A
- Case key
- 10967
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 of the airline industry and the federal aviation administration to provide flightcrews with procedures, requirements, and criteria compatible with departure delays in conditions conducive to airframe icing and the decision by the flightcrew to take off without positive assurance that the airplane's wings were free of ice accumulation after 35 minutes of exposure to precipitation following deicing. The ice contamination on the wings resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control after liftoff. Contributing to the cause of the accident were the inappropriate procedures used by, and inadequate coordination between, the flightcrew that led to a takeoff rotation at a lower than prescribed airspeed. (NTSB report AAR-93/020)
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 airplane had been deiced 2 times before leaving the gate. However, 35 minutes had elapsed between the 2nd deicing & takeoff during which time ice accumulated on the wing. This time period exceeded the type I deicing fluid safe holdover time (11 min). The 1st officer called vr 11 KTS early, and the capt rotated about 5 KTS early. After liftoff the airplane stalled and came to rest partially inverted and submerged in the bay. At the time of the accident, the operator did not require a specific exterior inspection for ice contamination of F-28 airplanes during periods of freezing precipitation. Accident history shows that nonslatted, turbojet, transport-category airplanes have been involved in a disproportionate number of takeoff accidents where undetected upper wing ice contamination has been cited as the probable cause or sole contributing factor.
Factual narrative
Please see national transportation safety board blue cover report AAR-93/02 for details.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N485US
- Reported as
- Fokker 28-4000
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11235
- Airframe hours
- 12,462
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce SPEY M555-15P, 9,900 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Usair, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Destination
- CLE · Cleveland, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LGA · Laguardia, runway 13, 7,000 × 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
- 44
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,820 total · 2,200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 60° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 0.75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LGA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.