Rockwell SABRELINER 65 incident near Detroit, Michigan, April 2, 1982
On April 2, 1982 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Rockwell SABRELINER 65, registered N23BX, suffered minor damage in an incident near Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Metro airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1982 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Detroit, Michigan · Detroit Metro · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell SABRELINER 65 SABRELINER
- Registration
- N23BX · no longer on the register · serial 46561
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS STARTED AS THE PASSENGERS COMPLETED BOARDING. AFTER THE COPILOT SECURED THE CABIN DOOR AND TOOK HIS SEAT, THE PILOT RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE AND CONTROL LOCK AND APPLIED POWER TO TAXI. WHEN A TURN WAS COMMANDED THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING DID NOT RESPOND AND THE PILOT APPLIED NORMAL AND EMERGENCY BRAKING WITHOUT EFFECT ON THE AIRCRAFTS MOVEMENT. THE PILOT THEN ORDERED THE RIGHT ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL ACROSS THE RAMP UNTIL IT COLLIDED WITH A PARKED AIRCRAFT. THE OPERATOR HAD EXPERIENCED SIMILAR FAILURES DURING THE 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. HOWEVER, ALL EFFORTS TO DUPLICATE AND ISOLATE THE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. DURING POST INCIDENT REPAIRS, NUMEROUS LANDING GEAR SYSTEM COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT SURFACED AGAIN. NO REASON FOR THE ORIGINAL FAILURES WAS DETERMINED.
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: 8,800 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 24,000 lb
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TFE731 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bendix, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DTW Detroit MI
- Destination: C Baltimore MD
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.