Beechcraft 1900C N154GA

Summary

On 19 May 2000 at about 18:54 local time, a Beechcraft 1900C registered N154GA, operated by Gulfstream International, was involved in an incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. 22 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 May 2000 at 18:54

Classification

Incident

Location

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood (FLL)

Coordinates

26.0894, -80.1496

Aircraft

Beechcraft 1900C

Registration

N154GA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Gulfstream International

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Freeport

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA00IA164

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the first officer to comply with procedures and directives for his failure to assure that the forward airstair door was closed and locked. A contributing factor in the incident was the inoperative annunciation system of the forward airstair door.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 'fwd cabin door' annunciator light was inoperative and MEL'd; it was scheduled to be examined later that evening. Six discrepancies in the previous year pertaining to the forward airstair door annunciator were recorded; the latest discrepancy was 2 days earlier. The captain briefed the MEL item with the first officer (F/O), who reported closing and locking the forward airstair door, and verifying such. The F/O reported only verbally briefing the passenger adjacent to the door about the door opening procedures but did not demonstrate. After takeoff at 800 feet 800 feet msl, the forward airstair door opened. An emergency was declared, the flight returned and landed uneventfully. The propeller blades and aft cables of the forward airstair door were damaged; the door latching mechanism operated normally. The company F/O's are taught to verbally discuss with passengers the door opening procedure without demonstrating. Several of the company F/O's reported partially opening the forward airstair door to demonstrate the procedure to the passenger; accomplishing this after closing and locking the door. Post incident, the F/O was vague about how to verify that the forward airstair door is locked. The results of drug screening of the captain and FO were negative.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.