Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chisholm-Hibbing Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hibbing, Minnesota 55746
Wednesday, December 1, 1993 19:50 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE ON A LOCALIZER BACK COURSE APPROACH THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE TERRAIN APRX 3 MI FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE CAPTAIN DELAYED THE START OF THE DESCENT THAT SUBSEQUENTLY REQUIRED AN EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE TO REACH THE FAF AND MDH. THE CAPTAIN'S ACTIONS LED TO DISTRACTIONS DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF THE APPROACH. THE FLIGHTCREW LOST ALTITUDE AWARENESS AND ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO DESCEND BELOW MANDATORY LEVEL OFF POINTS. THE CAPTAIN'S RECORD RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS AIRMANSHIP AND BEHAVIOR THAT SUGGESTED A LACK OF CREW COORDINATION DURING FLIGHT OPERATIONS, INCLUDING INTIMIDATION OF FIRST OFFICERS. COMPANY MANAGEMENT DID NOT ADDRESS THESE MATTERS ADEQUATELY. THE AIRLINE'S FLIGHT OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT FAILED TO IMPLEMENT PROVISIONS TO ADEQUATELY OVERSEE THE TRAINING OF THEIR FLIGHTCREWS AND THE OPERATION OF THEIR AIRCRAFT. FAA GUIDANCE TO THEIR INSPECTORS CONCERNING IMPLEMENTATION OF OPS BULLETINS IS INADEQUATE AND HAS FAILED TO TRANSMIT VALUABLE SAFETY INFORMATION AS INTENDED TO AIRLINES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE CAPTAIN'S ACTIONS THAT LED TO A BREAKDOWN IN CREW COORDINATION AND THE LOSS OF ALTITUDE AWARENESS BY THE FLIGHTCREW DURING AN UNSTABILIZED APPROACH IN NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE FAILURE OF THE COMPANY MANAGEMENT TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED DEFICIENCIES IN AIRMANSHIP AND CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF THE CAPTAIN; THE FAILURE OF THE COMPANY TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT A WIDESPREAD, UNAPPROVED PRACTICE DURING INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES; AND THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION'S INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE AND OVERSIGHT OF THE AIR CARRIER. (NTSB REPORT AAR-94/05)
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/1/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1950 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | HIBBING |
| Event State | MINNESOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 55746 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CHISHOLM-HIBBING |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HIB |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 310 |
| Airport Elevation | 1353 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1950 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HIB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1353 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 18 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 18 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1130 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 1 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2233 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 52863 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N334PX |
| NTSB Number | DCA94MA022 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | JETSTREAM |
| Aircraft Model | BA-3100 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | BA-3100 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 706 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 15212 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 19 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 30 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 17156 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MERIDIAN TRUST COMPANY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 35 NORTH SIXTH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | READING |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19601 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | EXPRESS AIRLINES II, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 11479 |
| Operator City | ST. PAUL |
| Operator State | MN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 55111 |
| Operator Code | YNWA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MSP |
| Departure City | MINNEAPOLIS |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1858 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 13 |
| Runway Length | 6758 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |