Bombardier INC DHC-8-402 accident near Houston, Texas, April 7, 2012
On April 7, 2012 at about 4:08 pm local time, a Bombardier INC DHC-8-402, registered N213WQ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Houston, Texas (Geoarge Bush Intercontinental airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 35 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the nose landing gear alternate release handle was not pulled with sufficient enough force or distance to release the uplocks and allow extension of the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the dissimilar pull force and pull length set on the flight simulator that was used for flight crew training of alternate landing gear extension procedures and the lack of information available to crew members advising of the dissimilar pull force.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2012 · about 4:08 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Geoarge Bush Intercontinental · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 35 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bombardier INC DHC-8-402
- Registration
- N213WQ · no longer on the register · serial 4213
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After take-off from the departure airport, the crew observed a master caution, an amber nose gear open advisory light, a landing gear inoperative caution light, and they noticed a different than normal airflow noise During the flight, the crew heard a "thump" and noted that the previously observed caution lights had extinguished indicating that the nose gear was retracted and the nose gear doors were closed. In accordance with abnormal procedures checklists, and guidance from the company, the crew elected to use the Alternate Landing Gear Extension checklist to prepare for landing at the destination After pulling the main gear release handle and the nose gear release handle the crew observed that the main landing gear indicated down and locked with green indicator lights, the nose landing gear did not indicate down and locked, and the red Nose Gear Unsafe light was illuminated. The crew landed the airplane with the main landing gear down and the nose landing gear retracted, and the airplane came to rest on the main gear and forward fuselage on the runway. Post-accident, the nose gear was successfully extended multiple times using the alternate extension handle and the landing gear was also extended multiple times under hydraulic power with no anomalies noted. Testing of landing gear system components did not reveal any failures that should have prevented the gear from extending via the alternate extension method. The pull force required to extend the nose gear alternate release handle to a position where the nose gear released from the up and locked position was measured at approximately 72 lbs. According to manufacturer's design requirements, the pull length on the alternate release handle should be approximately 11 inches with a force of 90 pounds. A post-accident review of the alternate gear extension procedures was conducted in a full flight simulator by the investigation group with the participation of the accident flight crew. The pull force required and the pull length required to extend the nose gear using the alternate extension handle was determined to be significantly lower in the flight simulator as compared to the aircraft. There was no guidance contained in the alternate landing gear extension procedure specifying required pull forces when using the alternate extension handle. Subsequent to the accident, the manufacturer added details to the alternate landing gear extension procedure in the Airplane Flight Manual regarding the maximum pull forces that a pilot may experience when the alternate extension handle is pulled.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Flight crew
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › Emergency proc training › Training organization
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Design › Policy/procedure development › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,926 hours in all; 396 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 5,209 as pilot in command; 781 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,206 hours in all; 919 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 1,161 as pilot in command; 509 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 29, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,936 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 29, 2012
- Seats: 70
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Colgan Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AR at 2:12 pm
- Destination: IAH Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 09, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KIAH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 31 |
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.