British Aerospace BAE-3101 accident near Alcoa, Tennessee, March 12, 1992
On March 12, 1992 at about 5:13 am local time, a British Aerospace BAE-3101, registered N165PC, was destroyed in an accident near Alcoa, Tennessee (Mcghee Tyson airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE AIRPLANE CHECKLIST WHICH RESULTED IN A GEAR UP LANDING; AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN FLYING SPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN UNCONTROLLED COLLISION WITH THE GROUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 1992 · about 5:13 am local time
- Place
- Alcoa, Tennessee · Mcghee Tyson
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BAE-3101
- Registration
- N165PC · registry record · serial 683
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A SERIES OF INSTRUMENT PROCEDURES, THE FLIGHT RETURNED TO KNOXVILLE AND LANDED. ON THE NEXT TAKEOFF, THE FIRST OFFICER DROPPED THE AIRPLANE'S CHECKLIST AND THE CHECK AIRMAN ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT WITHOUT USING THE CHECKLIST. ON THE NEXT VISUAL APPROACH, THE CHECK AIRMAN AND FIRST OFFICER ATTEMPTED A LANDING WITHOUT LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND BOTH PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES STRUCK THE CONCRETE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PILOT REPORTED THE GEARUP TOUCHDOWN TO THE CONTROL TOWER AND ELECTED TO GO AROUND. DURING THE CLIMBOUT THE CHECK AIRMAN LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR, ESTABLISHED A TEARDROP PATTERN FOR THE OPPOSITE RUNWAY AND FEATHERED THE RIGHT PROPELLER. CRASH FIRE RESCUE (CFR) EQUIPMENT WAS ALERTED AND WAS IN POSITION FOR THE SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, THE CHECK AIRMAN CALLED FOR MAX POWER, A REDUCTION IN THE FLAP SETTING, AND INITIATED A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND BELOW 200 FEET. THERE IS NO OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE FOR A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND BELOW 200 FEET. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED BRIEFLY AND CRASHED INVERTED ABOUT 7500 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,929 hours in all; 4,400 in this make and model; 3,629 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,607 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 26, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 15,322 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-10UGR (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Ccair INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:13 am from TYS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.