Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340B accident near New Roads, Louisiana, February 2, 1994
On February 2, 1994 at about 3:40 am local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340B, registered N349SB, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Roads, Louisiana (False River Air Park airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 25 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE CAPTAIN'S MOVEMENT OF THE POWER LEVERS BELOW FLIGHT IDLE IN FLIGHT, THE INADEQUATE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND CONSEQUENT DESIGN OF THE AIRPLANE'S POWER LEVERS THAT PERMITTED THEM TO BE MOVED BELOW THE FLIGHT IDLE POSITION INTO THE BETA RANGE, EITHER INTENTIONALLY OR INADVERTENTLY, WHILE IN FLIGHT, AND THE INADEQUATE ACTION TAKEN TO REQUIRE A POSITIVE MEANS TO PREVENT BETA OPERATION ON AIRPLANES FOR WHICH SUCH OPERATION IS PROHIBITED. (NTSB REPORT AAR=94/06)
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 2, 1994 · about 3:40 am local time
- Place
- New Roads, Louisiana · False River Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 25 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340B
- Registration
- N349SB · registry record · serial 340B-349
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE DESCENDING FOR LANDING AT BATON ROUGE, THE CAPTAIN ACTIVELY MOVED THE POWER LEVERS FROM THE FLIGHT IDLE GATE INTO THE BETA RANGE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. THE PROPELLERS AND ENGINES EXPERIENCED EXTREME OVERSPEED, NECESSITATING A POWER-OFF EMERGENCY LANDING AT NIGHT AND THE AIRPLANE RAN OFF THE END OF A 5,000-FT RUNWAY. ALTHOUGH THE DESIGN AND CERTIFICATION OF THE POWER LEVERS MET EXISTING REQUIREMENTS, THOSE REQUIREMENTS WERE INADEQUATE BECAUSE THEY PERMITTED A DESIGN THAT DID NOT PREVENT MOVEMENT INTO THE BETA RANGE IN FLIGHT. THE AIRFRAME & ENGINE INDUSTRY, THE FAA, AND THE CERTIFICATION AUTHORITIES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WERE SLOW IN REACTING TO SEVERAL PREVIOUS IN-FLIGHT BETA OCCURRENCES THAT LED TO SERIOUS INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 528 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 9, 1994; 129 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 30,000 lb
- Seats: 30
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CT7-9B (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas/Ft.Worth TX
- Destination: BTR Baton Rouge LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 | ||
| Passengers | 23 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N349SB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.