Amateur-built DHC-8-102 incident near Detroit, Michigan, January 8, 1993
On January 8, 1993 at about 5:03 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-8-102, registered N826MA, was involved in an incident near Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Metropolitan airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE MANUFACTURER'S INADEQUATE DESIGN OF THE FUEL TRANSFER TUBE SYSTEM, WHICH LOOSENED/DISCONNECTED DURING ENGINE OPERATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 1993 · about 5:03 pm local time
- Place
- Detroit, Michigan · Detroit Metropolitan · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-8-102
- Registration
- N826MA · registry record · serial 330
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED THROUGH ABOUT 200 FEET DURING DEPARTURE, THE LEFT ENGINE QUIT. THE FLIGHT CREW PERFORMED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POSTACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL TRANSFER TUBES LOOSENED AND SEPARATED FROM THEIR SLEEVES, WHICH ALLOWED FUEL TO BE DISCHARGED IN THE NACELLE.
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: 4,313 hours in all; 193 in this make and model; 193 in the last 90 days; 2,383 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 987 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 16, 1992; 128 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 34,500 lb
- Seats: 39
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW120A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesaba Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DTW at 5:01 pm
- Destination: ROA Roanoke VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from DTW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| 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.