Hawker Siddeley DH.125-400A accident near Nashville, Tennessee, November 7, 1992
On November 7, 1992 at about 1:52 am local time, a Hawker Siddeley DH.125-400A, registered N125HG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nashville, Tennessee (Nashville Intl. airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 COMPANY MECHANIC'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT, RESULTING IN A FOREIGN OBJECT (FLASHLIGHT) BEING LEFT IN THE NOSE GEAR WELL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 1992 · about 1:52 am local time
- Place
- Nashville, Tennessee · Nashville Intl. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Siddeley DH.125-400A DH.125-400
- Registration
- N125HG · no longer on the register · serial 25250
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE LANDING GEAR WAS RAISED FOLLOWING TAKEOFF, THE FLIGHT CREW HEARD A 'CRUNCHING' SOUND, FOLLOWED BY A 'NOSE GEAR UNSAFE' LIGHT. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE GEAR, THEY ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT THE NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED WITH THE NOSE GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD PRESSURE BULKHEAD WAS DAMAGED FROM CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A MECHANIC EMPLOYED BY THE OPERATOR HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT A 10-INCH FLASHLIGHT IN THE UPPER SECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR WELL DURING HIS PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION. DURING THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION, THE NOSE GEAR BECAME JAMMED BY THE FLASHLIGHT, AND COULD NOT BE RAISED OR LOWERED.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 3,630 as pilot in command; 1,250 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,752 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 29, 1992; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 23,300 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE 731-3-1H (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Starstuck Jet Aviation Svcs.
The flight
- Departed from: M33 Gallatin TN at 1:00 am
- Destination: MSN Madison WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 2, 7,702 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from BNA, 1 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.