Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 13 August 1997
Aircraft Type: Beechcraft 1900C
Owner/operator: Ameriflight
Registration Number: N3172A
Location: Seattle/Tacoma International Airport, WA (SEA) – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Component Affected: Aircraft landing gear (left-main)Aircraft landing gear (left-main)
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A flight occurred when the pilot initiated full flaps approaching runway 34L in Seattle, leading to a rapid airspeed decay and a high sink rate, culminating in a stall/mush condition and a hard landing. The aircraft’s nose overloaded, and the left-main landing gear collapsed. A fuel system leak during ground slide triggered a post-crash fire. The probable cause is an incorrect aft center of gravity, resulting in a stall/mush condition, compounded by overloading of the landing gear and fuel leakage, leading to a post-crash fire.A flight occurred when the pilot initiated full flaps approaching runway 34L in Seattle, leading to a rapid airspeed decay and a high sink rate, culminating in a stall/mush condition and a hard landing. The aircraft’s nose overloaded, and the left-main landing gear collapsed. A fuel system leak during ground slide triggered a post-crash fire. The probable cause is an incorrect aft center of gravity, resulting in a stall/mush condition, compounded by overloading of the landing gear and fuel leakage, leading to a post-crash fire.

Description

When the pilot initiated full flaps for landing approaching the threshold of runway 34L at Seattle, the aircraft’s airspeed began to decay rapidly and a high sink rate developed as the aircraft entered into a stall/mush condition. The aircraft then landed hard, overloading the nose and left-main landing gear which collapsed. A post-impact fuel system leak during the ground slide led to a post-crash fire. PROBABLE CAUSE: “A stall/mush condition resulting from an aft center of gravity which was inaccurately provided to the pilot-in-command by contractual cargo-loading personnel. Additional causes were overloading of the aircraft’s landing gear and fuel leakage resulting in a post-crash fire. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot’s improper lowering of flaps in an aft CG situation and the inadequate company procedures for cargo loading.”

Primary Cause

Incorrect aft center of gravity, resulting in a stall/mush condition.Incorrect aft center of gravity, resulting in a stall/mush condition.

Share on:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *