Bombardier CL-600-2B19 accident near Traverse City, Michigan, April 12, 2007
On April 12, 2007 at about 4:43 am local time, a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, registered N8905F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Traverse City, Michigan (Cherry Capitol Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 52 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 pilots' decision to land at Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), Traverse City, Michigan, without performing a landing distance assessment, which was required by company policy because of runway contamination initially reported by TVC ground operations personnel and continuing reports of deteriorating weather and runway conditions during the approach. This poor decision-making likely reflected the effects of fatigue produced by a long, demanding duty day and, for the captain, the duties associated with check airman functions. Contributing to the accident were 1) the Federal Aviation Administration pilot flight and duty time regulations that permitted the pilots' long, demanding duty day and 2) the TVC operations supervisor's use of ambiguous and unspecific radio phraseology in providing runway braking information. The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-08-02.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2007 · about 4:43 am local time
- Place
- Traverse City, Michigan · Cherry Capitol Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 52 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bombardier CL-600-2B19 · all CL-600-2B19s on the register
- Registration
- N8905F · no longer on the register · serial 7905
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-08-02. On April 12, 2007, about 0043 eastern daylight time, a Bombardier/Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) CL600-2B19, N8905F, operated as Pinnacle Airlines flight 4712, ran off the departure end of runway 28 after landing at Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), Traverse City, Michigan. There were no injuries among the 49 passengers (including 3 lap-held infants) and 3 crewmembers, and the aircraft was substantially damaged. Weather was reported as snowing. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 and had departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul International (Wold-Chamberlain) Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota, about 2153 central daylight time (CDT). Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan.
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 (unmanned)
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,600 hours in all; 4,243 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,590 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 2,373 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,219 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 53,000 lb
- Seats: 50
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF34B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF34B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pinnacle Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: MSP Minneapolis MN at 3:44 am
- Destination: TVC Traverse City MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 6,501 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: vv at 400 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.52 inHg
- Observation at 5:30 am from TVC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 49 |
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.