Fokker 28-4000 N485US

Summary

On 23 March 1992 at about 02:35 local time, a Fokker 28-4000 registered N485US, operated by Usair, Inc., was involved in an accident near Flushing, New York, United States. 51 people were on board and 27 died, 9 were seriously injured, 12 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 March 1992 at 02:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Flushing, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Laguardia (LGA)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Fokker 28-4000

Registration

N485US

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Usair, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Cleveland

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DCA92MA025

27 people died.

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)

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.