Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A accident near Hibbing, Minnesota, January 3, 1993
On January 3, 1993 at about 1:42 am local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A, registered N342PX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hibbing, Minnesota (Hibbing-Chisholm airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 31 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 FIRST OFFICER'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE DURING THE LANDING, AND THE CAPTAIN'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY NOT TAKING TIMELY ACTION TO ENSURE A SAFE LANDING. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE COMPANY'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE TRAINING ON THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS AND/OR HANDLING TECHNIQUES UNDER CONDITIONS OF WING ICE CONTAMINATION, THE COMPANY'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT BOTH PILOTS HAD RECEIVED THE CURRENT CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (CRM) TRAINING, AND THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN AN ACCUMULATION OF ICE ON THE AIRPLANE'S WING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 1993 · about 1:42 am local time
- Place
- Hibbing, Minnesota · Hibbing-Chisholm · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 31 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A
- Registration
- N342PX · no longer on the register · serial 340A-147
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE APPROACH, THE 1ST OFFICER (FO) ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WANTED TO '...POP THE BOOTS?' TO REMOVE ICE OFF THE WINGS. THE CAPT RESPONDED '...IT'S GOING TO THE HANGAR. I'LL RUN'EM ON THE GROUND...' THE FO RETARDED POWER OVER THE THRESHOLD & THE SINK RATE INCREASED; THE CAPT OBSERVED 900 FPM. THE FO APPLIED ADDITIONAL BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE, BUT IT WAS INADEQUATE TO ARREST THE HIGH SINK RATE. ADDITIONAL BACK PRESSURE WAS APPLIED, AND THE STALL HORN SOUNDED FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY THE CAPT STATING 'I GOT IT.' DURING THE HARD LANDING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR BROKE, THE FUEL TANK RUPTURED, AND THE RIGHT WING REAR SPAR BENT UPWARD. APRX 18 HRS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, 3/16 INCH OF RIME MIXED WITH CLEAR ICE WAS OBSERVED ON THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WING, HORIZ STAB, AND VERT STAB. THE ICE HAD FINGER-LIKE PROTRUSIONS POSITIONED VERTICALLY TO THE WING SURFACES. THE COMPANY'S LINE OPS MANUAL DOES NOT DISCUSS FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OR LANDING TECHNIQUES SPECIFIC TO WING ICE. NEITHER PILOT HAD RECEIVED COMPANY'S CURRENT CRM TRAINING.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model; 195 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 27,275 lb
- Seats: 33
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CT-7 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 6,758 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 28.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from HIB, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 28 |
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.