Dornier DO-228-202 accident near Manchester, New Hampshire, January 10, 1993
On January 10, 1993 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Dornier DO-228-202, registered N245RP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manchester, New Hampshire (Manchester airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF THE SEALS IN THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY, WHICH PREVENTED THE NOSE GEAR FROM LOCKING IN THE DOWN POSITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1993 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Manchester, New Hampshire · Manchester
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dornier DO-228-202
- Registration
- N245RP · no longer on the register · serial 8125
- 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
DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED, THERE WAS AN UNSAFE GEAR WARNING. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE CONDITION, INCLUDING RECYCLING THE GEAR FOUR TIMES, THE FLIGHT DIVERTED. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT HAD DOWN AND LOCK INDICATION FOR THE THREE GEAR DURING THE RECYCLING, AFTER THE FOURTH CYCLE, THERE WAS NO GEAR INDICATION, DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND IT USING THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM. THE PILOT DID A LOW PASS OVER THE AIRPORT WHERE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED NOSE GEAR UP. EXAMINATION OF THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY REVEALED THE NOSE GEAR SHOCK STRUT WAS COLLAPSED ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH FROM FULL EXTENSION, WHICH PREVENTED THE STRUT FROM ENGAGING THE UPLOCK DURING RETRACTION, AND PREVENT THE DEACTIVATION OF THE UNSAFE WARNING DURING EXTENSION. IT WAS ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE PARTIALLY EXTENDED STRUT COULD IMPROPERLY CONTACT THE UPLOCK, RESTRICTING THE MOVEMENT OF THE STRUT. FURTHER DISASSEMBLY CONFIRMED THE INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF THE TWO INTERNAL SEALS, WHICH WOULD PREVENT THE STRUT FROM EXTENDING FULLY.
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: 3,700 hours in all; 2,650 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,202 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 8, 1993; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,688 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331 5252D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Precision Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: BOS Boston MA at 5:10 pm
- Destination: MHT NH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 7,001 ft by 250 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:25 pm from MHT, 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.