Fokker F28-MK-0100 incident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 7, 1993
On May 7, 1993 at about 4:51 pm local time, a Fokker F28-MK-0100, registered N867US, suffered minor damage in an incident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Greater Pittsburgh airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 50 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE SPACERS BY THE MECHANIC AND THE UNCLEAR INFORMATION SUPPLIED FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND OPERATOR REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF THE SPACERS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 1993 · about 4:51 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Greater Pittsburgh
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 50 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fokker F28-MK-0100 F28-MK-010
- Registration
- N867US · registry record · serial 11312
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN AT MEMPHIS, TN, A SEVERE VIBRATION WAS FELT BY THE FLIGHTCREW IN THE COCKPIT. THE FLIGHTCREW THOUGHT THE VIBRATION WAS GENERATED BY THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR SO THEY HAD MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL CHECK THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TO PITTSBURGH, PA, AND SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. POST INCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR REVEALED THAT TWO SPACERS IN THE TORQUE LINK ASSEMBLY WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. THE INVESTIGATION ALSO REVEALED THAT DURING RE INSTALLATION OF THE TORQUE LINKS AND SHIMMY DAMPER AT THE LAST MAINTENANCE CHECK, THE TWO SPACERS WERE INSTALLED IN REVERSE OF THEIR NORMAL POSITIONS. ACCORDING TO FOKKER, REVERSAL OF THE TWO SPACERS WOULD RESULT IN AN UNDAMPED FREE PLAY BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER TORQUE LINK RESULTING IN OSCILLATIONS IN THE LATERAL MODE OF THE LANDING GEAR. REVIEW OF USAIR'S AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL, SUPPLIED BY FOKKER, REVEALED THAT THE TWO SPACERS THAT WERE INCORRECTLY INSTALLED ON THE INCIDENT AIRPLANE WERE NOT DESCRIBED BY DIMENSIONS OR VERBIAGE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,200 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,578 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 4, 1993; 416 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 98,000 lb
- Seats: 103
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce TAY MK 650-15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 2:19 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 8,100 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:02 pm from PIT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 45 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N867US the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.