Canadair CL-600-2B19 incident near Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 25, 2001
On January 25, 2001 at about 6:11 pm local time, a Canadair CL-600-2B19, registered N785CA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Grand Rapids, Michigan (Kent County International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 21 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The uncommanded deployment of the right flight spoiler due to the fatigue fracture of the spoiler lug.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2001 · about 6:11 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Rapids, Michigan · Kent County International
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 21 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL-600-2B19 · all CL-600-2B19s on the register
- Registration
- N785CA · registry record · serial 7326
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Captain reported they were flying a visual approach following the localizer to intercept the glideslope. When flaps 45 were selected, the airplane rolled right about 15 to 20 degrees. Application of left aileron and rudder controlled the roll, and the approach was aborted. After consulting maintenance and flight operations and conducting a visual inspection, the Captain determined they had a failure of the right flight spoiler. A decision was made to land using corrected speeds per the checklist. The approach and landing were uneventful. A post-flight inspection revealed the right flight spoiler was fully deployed and the right spoiler lug had fractured and separated from the hydraulic actuator. A review of the maintenance records indicated the right flight spoiler had acquired a total of 3,987.9 cycles and 4,064 landings. Metallurgical examination revealed the aluminum spoiler lug had failed due to fatigue. Transport Canada issued an Airworthiness Directive on February 22, 2001, that required the inspection of aluminum flight spoiler lugs at 3,000 cycles, and at intervals not to exceed 500 cycles. The AD also stipulated that the installation of redesigned flight spoilers which utilized steel lugs provided terminating action to the inspection requirements. The FAA issued an AD on July 26, 2001, that required the same inspection criteria as the Transport Canada AD.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 12,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 51,000 lb
- Seats: 54
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge GE-CF-34 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CVG Cincinnati OH at 4:05 pm
- Destination: GRR Grand Rapids MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from GRR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 18 |
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.