British Aerospace 3101 accident near Memphis, Tennessee, November 9, 1991
On November 9, 1991 at about 2:48 pm local time, a British Aerospace 3101, registered N311PX, was involved in an accident near Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured; 10 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE RAMP AGENT TO POSITION AN ADDITIONAL STEP BELOW THE LAST STEP OF THE AIRSTAIR DOOR AND THE GROUND; THE AGENT FAILED TO FOLLOW A VERBAL COMPANY PROCEDURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 1991 · about 2:48 pm local time
- Place
- Memphis, Tennessee · Memphis International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 10 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace 3101
- Registration
- N311PX · no longer on the register · serial 679
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS PARKED AT THE PASSENGER TERMINAL WITH BOTH ENGINES SHUT DOWN AS PASSENGERS DEPLANED. REPORTEDLY, TWO RAMP AGENTS WERE POSITIONED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRSTAIR DOOR AND WERE ASSISTING THE DEPLANING PASSENGERS. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE WIFE OF THE INJURED PASSENGER, HER HUSBAND, A DIABETIC, WAS NOT ASSISTED BY THE TWO AGENTS. AS THE PASSENGER STEPPED FROM THE LAST STEP TO THE GROUND (APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES) HE FELL AND BROKE HIS HIP. A NORTHWEST AIRLINK OFFICIAL STATED THAT A STEP WAS NOT POSITIONED BELOW THE FINAL AIRSTAIR STEP AS REQUIRED BY VERBAL COMPANY POLICY. A WRITTEN POLICY REGARDING THIS MATTER IS BEING FORMULATED AND WILL BE INSERTED INTO THE STATION MANUAL. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS ACCIDENT, ALL RAMP AGENTS HAVE BEEN RETRAINED IN THE USE OF THE ADDITIONAL STEP REQUIREMENT FOR THE JETSTREAM AIRPLANES.
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: 4,800 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 15,000 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEI Meridian MS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 7,319 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from MEM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 8 |
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.