- Date
- September 30, 1989, 10:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bemidji, MN
- Injuries
- 29 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N280MAFokker F27
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890930065809A
- Case key
- 34699
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 pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate and compensate for the downdraft encountered while on short final approach.
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 sked flight had departed brainerd, MN on time and with no descrepancy noted by the crew. The flight progressed normally until on final approach for rwy 31 at Bemidji. The LCL wx OBS rptd wind from 200 degrees mag at only 5 knots, recorded prior to the aircraft initiating the approach for landing. (CVR) transcript indicated the crew experienced stronger winds than fcstd and rptd, but not sufficient for the crew to abort the landing. The crew rptd a loss of lift over the threshold just prior to touchdown, with the aircraft impacting hard on the rwy. Damage was noted to the acft after pax's had been deplaned at the terminal. Trees border the airport perimeter, which the crew felt may have contributed to the wind instability and possible wind shear just prior to touchdown. No recording device was installed at the airport to indicate wind shear or instability.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N280MA
- Reported as
- Fokker F27
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10522
- Airframe hours
- 37,058
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce S32-7R, 1,835 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Mesaba Aviation, doing business as Northwest Airlink
- Registered owner
- Dutch Assett Leasing Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 26, 1989 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- BRD · Brainerd, MN
- Destination
- BJI · Bemidji, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BJI · Bemidji, runway 31, 6,598 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,100 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BJI, 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.