British Aerospace 3101 accident near Kenner, Louisiana, May 26, 1987
On May 26, 1987 at about 9:45 pm local time, a British Aerospace 3101, registered N331CY, was destroyed in an accident near Kenner, Louisiana (New Orleans Intl/Moisant airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1987 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kenner, Louisiana · New Orleans Intl/Moisant
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace 3101
- Registration
- N331CY · no longer on the register · serial 742
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT OVERRAN THE DEPT END OF THE RWY AND CAME TO REST ON A HIWAY BARRIER AFTER AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FOLLOWING ENGINE TORQUE OSCILLATIONS. THE CAPT TRIED REDUCING THE POWER LEVERS AS HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT TO 'GET OFF' THE TTL SINCE HE THOUGHT THE TTL WAS BYPASSING FUEL. HIS ACTIONS INCREASED THE OSCILLATIONS AND YAWING SO THE CAPT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE TAKEOFF HAD BEEN EXPEDITED AT A REQUEST FROM THE CONTROLLER. THE CREW FAILED TO ASSURE THAT THE RPM LEVERS WERE FULL FORWARD IN THE TAKEOFF (100 PERCENT) POSITION . SUBSEQUENT TESTS PRODUCED TORQUE OSCILLATIONS WITH TAKEOFF POWER AND THE RPM LEVERS IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN TAKEOFF. BOTH CREW MEMBERS HAD RELATIVELY LITTLE FLT EXPERIENCE IN THE BAE-3101 WHICH DIFFERS IN RPM CONTROL LEVER PROCEDURES FROM OTHER ACFT WITH WHICH THE FLT CREW WAS MORE FAMILIAR. (SEE NTSB/AAR-88/06).
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 196 in the last 90 days; 77 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 147 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 18, 1987; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,212 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-10 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air New Orleans
The flight
- Destination: VPS Ft. Walton Bch FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from MSY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 7 |
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.