Fokker F.28 MK4000 incident near Charlotte, North Carolina, April 15, 1992
On April 15, 1992 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Fokker F.28 MK4000, registered N495US, was involved in an incident near Charlotte, North Carolina (Douglas Int. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 60 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S DECISION TO REJECT THE TAKEOFF AT A SPEED IN EXCESS OF V1, RESULTING IN AN INADEQUATE DISTANCE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1992 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Charlotte, North Carolina · Douglas Int.
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 60 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fokker F.28 MK4000 F.28 MK400
- Registration
- N495US · no longer on the register · serial 11168
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL FOR RUNWAY 18L, WITH THE CAPTAIN AT THE CONTROLS. THE FLT CREW REPORTED AN AIRSPEED STAGNATION, FOLLOWED BY A NOTICEABLE DECELERATION, AFTER THE 'V1' CALLOUT. THE CAPTAIN REJECTED THE TAKEOFF, HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE RUNWAY. THE CREW REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT NEVER REACHED V1, SINCE USAIR PROCEDURES STATE THAT THE PILOT NOT FLYING WILL INITIATE THE V1 CALL 5 KNOTS PRIOR TO COMPUTED V1. ROTATION SPEED (VR) WAS EQUAL TO V1 FOR THE TAKEOFF CONDITIONS. A READOUT OF THE CVR INDICATED THAT THE F/O CALLED 'V1', THEN 'R' (ROTATE) PRIOR TO THE ABORT. DFDR READOUT SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SMALL DROP IN AIRSPEED (1.92 KNOTS) AT 128.63 KNOTS, HOWEVER, THE AIRSPEED SUBSEQUENTLY CLIMBED TO 137.8 KNOTS. COMPUTED V1/VR WAS 132 KTS, V2 WAS 137 KTS. THE FLT CREW STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT ROTATE, HOWEVER WITNESSES (INCLUDING A TOWER CONTROLLER) REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID ROTATE PRIOR TO THE ABORT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS FAILED TO EXPLAIN THE REPORTED DECELERATION.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,300 hours in all; 1,350 in this make and model; 208 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 23,297 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 10, 1991; 1,228 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 73,000 lb
- Seats: 70
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB183555-15P (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: JAX Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 7,845 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from CLT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 56 |
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.