Fokker F28 MK 0100 incident near Charlotte, North Carolina, May 1, 1994
On May 1, 1994 at about 5:09 pm local time, a Fokker F28 MK 0100, registered N890US, suffered minor damage in an incident near Charlotte, North Carolina (Douglas International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 94 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER RIGGING OF THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING SYSTEM BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 1994 · about 5:09 pm local time
- Place
- Charlotte, North Carolina · Douglas International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 94 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fokker F28 MK 0100 F28 MK 010
- Registration
- N890US · registry record · serial 11365
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHTCREW REPORTED THAT WHILE EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR, THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED. AFTER FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE NOSE GEAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED WITH THE NOSE GEAR NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYSTEM WAS INCORRECTLY RIGGED; THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT PROPERLY CENTER ITSELF, AND THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING CABLE TENSIONS WERE BELOW REQUIRED LIMITS. THIS RESULTED IN A SITUATION WHERE THE NOSE GEAR WOULD IMPINGE ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE GEAR WELL, PREVENTING EXTENSION. THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER REPORTED THAT IT REQUIRED A COMBINATION OF NOSE GEAR MISRIGGING, WITH REDUCED CABLE TENSIONS, TO DUPLICATE THIS SCENARIO. ABOUT TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED, WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A CHECK OF THE NOSE GEAR RIGGING.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,845 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 29, 1994; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 95,000 lb
- Seats: 100
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce TAY MK650-15 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Usair, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DTW Detroit MI at 3:19 pm
- Destination: CLT NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18R, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from CLT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 89 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL94IA088.