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Accidents · NTSB CHI05FA077 · Final report

Bombardier CL-600-2B19 accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 12, 2005

On March 12, 2005 at about 5:02 am local time, a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, registered N8932C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Milwukee/General Mitchell airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

the captain's failure to adequately compensate for the crosswind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing factors include the captain's failure to land at the nearest suitable airport after an in-flight mechanical problem, the airport operation's failure to conduct runway friction tests and to issue NOTAMS in accordance with existing regulations, the crosswind, the snow-covered runway, the runway sign, and night conditions.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
March 12, 2005 · about 5:02 am local time
Place
Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Milwukee/General Mitchell · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved.
Weather
instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
Aircraft
Bombardier CL-600-2B19 · all CL-600-2B19s on the register
Registration
N8932C · no longer on the register · serial 7932
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight received substantial damage when it veered off the left side of runway 1L during landing. The flight had departed LaGuardia International Airport en route to Milwaukee International Airport (MKE). During climbout through Flight Level 20 (20,000 feet), the No. 1 Hydraulic Low Pressure caution light illuminated. The flight crew ran the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) checklist for the caution message. The procedures outlined in the QRH instructed the flight crew to: "Land at the nearest suitable airport." The captain informed the airline's maintenance control about the caution message, but he did not inform flight dispatch about the caution message or the need to land at the nearest suitable airport. The flight continued to its destination airport. The flight was cleared to land on runway 1L. The winds were 290 degrees at 10 knots. The captain reported that the landing was normal until the airplane started to veer off the left side of the runway. The post accident inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies, other than the loss of the No. 1 Hydraulic system which resulted in the loss of ground spoilers. The NTSB Aircraft Performance Study indicated that the airplane approached runway 1L crossing the threshold at about 2302:16 at a recorded radio altitude of about 50 feet above ground level, with an indicated airspeed of 139 knots (about 136 knots ground speed) and a pitch angle of about 4 degrees nose down. The airplane began to drift right of centerline by about 20 feet, and touchdown occurred at a calculated distance of 2,400 feet beyond the runway threshold in a crab angle of about 5 degrees nose left relative to the ground track, and at a roll angle of about 1 degree left bank angle. The lateral load at touchdown was recorded at -0.2 G's. After touchdown, the airplane's ground track continued to drift right of centerline about 25 feet while the airplane nose remained to the left of the ground track. The airplane's ground track then began to turn left and departed off the side of the runway (veered off the runway) at about 2302:37 and approximately 4,200 feet beyond the threshold. The longitudinal acceleration from point of touchdown to when it veered off the runway was recorded between -0.12 and -0.15 G's. An investigation of airport operations revealed that airport operations did not inspect Runway 1L/19R after a pilot report (PIREP) of NIL braking action by a Beech Jet at 2018. Airport operations did not conduct or provide friction measurement reports and (Notices to Airmen) NOTAMS for Runway 1L/19R between March 10 at 1925 and the time of the accident on March 11 at 2302, when airport conditions were changing with significant snowfall accumulations. The airport did not conduct a runway inspection or friction report of Runway 1L/19R after the airplane veered off the runway.

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, commercial pilot
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 4,900 hours in all; 1,763 in this make and model; 265 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 3,525 as pilot in command
  • Last flight review: July 11, 2004
  • Medical certificate: Class 1
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: no injuries

Co-pilot

  • Certificate: commercial pilot
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 370 as pilot in command
  • Last flight review: September 22, 2004
  • Medical certificate: Class 1
  • Seat: rgt
  • Injury: no injuries

The aircraft

  • Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 11, 2005
  • Maximum gross weight: 53,000 lb
  • Seats: 47
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine: General Electric CF-34-3B1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
  • Operator: Pinnacle Airlines

The flight

  • Departed from: LGA New York NY at 2:37 am
  • Destination: MKE Milwaukee WI
  • Flight plan: IFR
  • Runway 1L, 9,690 ft by 200 ft
  • A second pilot was aboard

Weather at the time

  • Light: night
  • Wind: from 290° at 11 knots
  • Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
  • Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft
  • Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
  • Altimeter: 29.25 inHg
  • Observation at 5:01 pm from MKE

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew3
Passengers9

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.