Embraer EMB-120ER incident near Cedar City, Utah, March 17, 2003
On March 17, 2003 at about 5:45 am local time, a Embraer EMB-120ER, registered N214SW, suffered minor damage in an incident near Cedar City, Utah (Cedar City Regional Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the captain's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Factors contributing to the accident were the crew's diverted attention, the snow and slush-covered runway, the fog, and the runway marker.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2003 · about 5:45 am local time
- Place
- Cedar City, Utah · Cedar City Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB-120ER · all EMB-120ERs on the register
- Registration
- N214SW · registry record · serial 120280
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain reported they coordinated with ATC to expedite their takeoff due to the poor weather conditions. Following de-icing, the crew taxied the airplane from the ramp to the runway and began their takeoff roll. The captain said that everything was fine initially. When the airplane passed the 7,000 foot remaining marker, it began tracking left. The captain said he tried to correct the situation with rudder and differential power, but the airplane continued to track left. The captain said, "I lost control of the situation when the left mains got into the soft earth at the edge of the runway." The first officer reported that just after they had advanced the power levels forward, the Ice Condition light illuminated. The first officer notified the captain. The first officer stated that the airplane was pulling to the left. The first officer said the captain was attempting to correct the condition when the airplane pulled hard left. The airplane was straddling the runway lights. The first officer said the captain aborted the takeoff. The first officer said that with braking, they slid off the runway and slowly spun to the left leaving the airplane facing east when it stopped. The airport manager reported that at the time of the incident, the runway was covered with 1 to 1-1/2 inches of snow and slush. An examination of the airplane's tire tracks in the snow showed the airplane began its takeoff roll to the left of the runway centerline. The tracks proceeded further left of centerline as they proceeded down the runway until they were off the left side of the runway. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The reported weather at the time of the incident was ceilings 400 feet broken, 1,100 feet overcast, visibility 1/2 mile, snow and fog, temperature and dew point 32 degrees F, and an altimeter setting of 29.59 inches of Mercury.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,257 hours in all; 9,379 in this make and model; 259 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days; 2,209 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 20, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,872 hours in all; 892 in this make and model; 195 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 17, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24,773.8 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 15, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 26,433 lb
- Seats: 33
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney 118B (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney 118B (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDC Cedar City UT at 5:45 am
- Destination: SGU St. George UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20, 8,653 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.59 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from CDC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 12 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN03IA054.