British Aerospace BAE 3101 accident near Beckley, West Virginia, March 18, 1993
On March 18, 1993, a British Aerospace BAE 3101, registered N159PC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beckley, West Virginia (Raleigh County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE CAPTAIN TO ASSURE PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE PLOWED PORTION OF THE RUNWAY (OR PERFORM A MISSED APPROACH). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITION, INADEQUATE REMOVAL OF SNOW FROM THE RUNWAY WITH SNOW ALONG THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE LACK OF VISUAL CUES (PERCEPTION) FOR THE PILOT(S).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1993
- Place
- Beckley, West Virginia · Raleigh County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BAE 3101
- Registration
- N159PC · registry record · serial 768
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER VERIFYING WEATHER WAS ABOVE MINIMUMS FOR LANDING, THE CAPTAIN BEGAN AN ILS RUNWAY 19 APPROACH AT NIGHT IN CONDITIONS OF SNOW, DRIZZLE & RIGHT QUARTERING TAILWIND. INTERVIEWS WITH THE PILOTS & INFORMATION ON THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER REVEALED THE APPROACH LIGHTS WERE IN SIGHT BEFORE REACHING THE DECISION HEIGHT. THE PILOTS STATED THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN 'SLIGHTLY LEFT OF CENTERLINE,' THEN THEY 'LOST SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS.' AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON AN UNPLOWED PORTION (SIDE) OF THE PARTIALLY PLOWED RUNWAY, ABOUT 60' LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE. THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED & THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGED. THE PILOTS HAD CHECKED NOTAMS & WERE AWARE THAT 130' OF THE 150' WIDE RUNWAY WAS PLOWED, BUT THE NOTAM DID NOT STATE THAT PLOWING WAS NOT CENTERED. ACCORDING TO FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR AC 150/5200-30A, 'DETAILS' CONCERNING A PARTIALLY PLOWED RUNWAY SHOULD BE REPORTED VIA NOTAM. THE 2' SNOW BANKS AT THE EDGES OF THE RUNWAY WERE SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,100 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 195 in the last 90 days; 91 in the last 30 days; 11,800 as pilot in command; 1,506 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,201 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 3, 1993; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,212 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLT Charlotte NC at 11:10 pm
- Destination: BKW
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 6,750 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots
- Sky: not recorded at 100 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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.