British Aerospace BAE JETSTREAM 3201 incident near Charlotte, North Carolina, February 1, 1991
On February 1, 1991, a British Aerospace BAE JETSTREAM 3201, registered N844AE, suffered minor damage in an incident near Charlotte, North Carolina (Douglas Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE CAPTAIN TO FOLLOW CHECKLIST PROCEDURES, RESULTING IN A FLIGHT WITH THE CABIN DOOR UNSECURED, AND THE SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF THE CABIN DOOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 1991
- Place
- Charlotte, North Carolina · Douglas Int'L
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BAE JETSTREAM 3201 BAE JETSTR
- Registration
- N844AE · no longer on the register · serial 844
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER THE NO. 2 ENGINE STARTED, THE FLIGHT CREW NOTICED A CABIN DOOR OPEN LIGHT. THE CAPTAIN SHUT DOWN THE NO. 1 ENGINE, AND SIGNALED TO THE GROUND CREW TO CHECK THE DOOR. THE CAPTAIN RECYCLED THE DOOR WARNING CIRCUIT BREAKER SEVERAL TIMES, AND THE LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. ON CLIMBOUT, PASSING 7,000 FEET, THE CABIN DOOR SUDDENLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE FLIGHT RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE GROUND CREW DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CAPTAIN'S INTENTIONS, AND DID NOT CHECK THE DOOR FOR SECURITY. THE CAPTAIN DID NOT FOLLOW CHECKLIST PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH A DOOR LIGHT ON THE GROUND. THE RAMP AGENT, THE LAST PERSON TO CLOSE THE DOOR, HAD NOT OPERATED JETSTREAM DOORS PRIOR TO THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE RECOVERED DOOR REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,392 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 3,917 as pilot in command; 275 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 16,204 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPR331-12UAR (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLT Charlotte NC
- Destination: BNA Nashville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from CLT, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.