British Aerospace JS-3101 incident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 10, 1988
On November 10, 1988 at about 3:02 pm local time, a British Aerospace JS-3101, registered N333PX, suffered minor damage in an incident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Mitchell airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF LUBRICATION TO THE OUTER WHEEL BEARING, AND THE SUBSEQUENT DISINTEGRATION OF THE BEARING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO PROPERLY INSPECT AND GREASE THE BEARING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 1988 · about 3:02 pm local time
- Place
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Mitchell · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace JS-3101
- Registration
- N333PX · registry record · serial 704
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE BRITISH AEROSPACE JETSTREAM 3101 DEPARTED GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN WITH 10 PASSENGERS AND 2 CREW. JUST AFTER LIFTOFF, A WITNESS OBSERVED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL ROLLING DOWN THE RUNWAY, AND REPORTED IT TO THE TOWER. THE JETSTREAM FLEW PAST THE TOWER AND CONFIRMED THAT THE WHEEL WAS MISSING. THE CREW ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO THEIR DESTINATION OF MILWAUKEE WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED GEAR UP WITH FULL FLAPS AND THE PROPELLERS FEATHERED.
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: 3,650 hours in all; 1,168 in this make and model; 235 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days; 2,947 as pilot in command; 85 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,653 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 9, 1988; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,212 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-10OVG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Express Airlines 1, INC
The flight
- Departed from: GRR Grand Rapids MI at 2:07 pm
- Destination: MKE Milwaukee WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1L, 9,900 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 16 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,700 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from MKE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 10 |
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.