Douglas DC9-30 incident near Pellston, Michigan, December 19, 1982
On December 19, 1982 at about 2:02 am local time, a Douglas DC9-30, registered N9344, was involved in an incident near Pellston, Michigan (Emmet County Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 51 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 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
- December 19, 1982 · about 2:02 am local time
- Place
- Pellston, Michigan · Emmet County Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 51 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC9-30 · all DC9-30s on the register
- Registration
- N9344 · no longer on the register · serial 47440
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE DEPARTING TRAVERSE CITY THE CAPTAIN WAS INFORMED THAT EMMET CITY ARPT WAS SANDED AT ABOUT 1736 AND THAT ICY RUNWAY CONDITIONS WERE TURNING TO SLUSH. HE WAS ALSO TOLD THAT RWY 32 WOULD BE SANDED AGAIN PRIOR TO HIS ARRIVAL. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED, WITH A JAMES BRAKE DECELEROMETER READING OF POOR DETERMINED. A BEECH BARON LANDED AT ABOUT 2055 AND ENCOUNTERED LITTLE BRAKING DIFFICULTIES, ALTHOUGH THE PILOT STATED THAT HE USED BRAKES SPARINGLY. FLIGHT 375 TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1000 FT FROM THE APPCH END BUT THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE STOPPED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE RUNWAY DESPITE USE OF MAXIMUM BRAKING AND REVERSE. IT CAME TO REST ON SOLID, FROZEN GROUND ABOUT 80 FT BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. PELLSTON HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING LIGHT DRIZZLE AND SNOW FOR THE PAST 12 HOURS WITH TEMPERATURES RISING FROM 30 TO 34 DEGREES.
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: 23,530 hours in all; 9,480 in this make and model; 201 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 109,000 lb
- Seats: 105
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W JT8D-7 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Republic Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TVC Traverse City MI
- Destination: Orlando FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 6,512 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from PLN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 46 |
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.