# NTSB NYC89IA107: Short Brothers SD3-60, N163DD, Albany, NY, March 24, 1989

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: March 24, 1989, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place: Albany, NY
- Coordinates: 42.699283, -73.759429 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.6993&lon=-73.7594&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 10 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report August 26, 1992
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 36309
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC89IA107
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/36309/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC89IA107

## Probable cause

THE CREW'S FAILURE TO USE FULL ENGINE ANTI-ICE SYSTEMS WHICH RESULTED IN ICE BLOCKING THE ENGINE INLETS.

## Sequence of events

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

- In flight encounter with weather, cruise
  - weather condition - icing conditions (contributing factor)
  - anti-ice/deice system - not selected, pilot in command (cause)
- Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise
  - engine assembly - ice (cause)
  - engine assembly - failure,total (cause)
- Forced landing, descent - emergency
  - power on landing - performed, pilot in command

## Analysis

COMMAND AIRWAYS FLT 4887, REPORTED THE LOSS OF POWER ON BOTH ENGINES WHILE FLYING IMC AT A CRUISE ALT OF 7000 FEET ABOUT 28 NM SOUTH OF ALBANY, NY. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE AND LAND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBLEM. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF WATER FOUND IN THE COWLING OF BOTH ENGINES. TESTS SHOWED NO DISCREPANCIES IN EITHER ENGINE. AT THE TIME OF THE FLAME OUTS, THE CREW HAD 'ON' LEVEL 3 ANTI-ICE, MINUS THE ENGINE COWLING VEINS AND WINDSHEILD.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N163DD (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Short Brothers SD3-60
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 106040
- Airframe hours: 1570
- Engines: P&W PT6A 1400 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Command Airways
- Registered owner: First National Bank Of Boston
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 20, 1989, 21 hours before
- Departed: LGA, NEW YORK CITY, NY
- Flight plan: IFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 29; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 3,200 total, 1,700 in this make and model, 2,000 as pilot in command, 200 in the last 90 days, 65 in the last 30 days, 9 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: ALB, 20 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Incident 19890324042269I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890324042269I), Mar 24, 1989: Stbros SD360, Albany, NY. Both engines quit in freezing rain. Restarted left engine. No malfunction found.

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.

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