Fairchild SA227-AC accident near Elko, Nevada, January 15, 1990
On January 15, 1990 at about 6:28 pm local time, a Fairchild SA227-AC, registered N2721M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elko, Nevada (Elko Muni/Jc Harris Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURE BY THE CAPTAIN, AND INADEQUATE MONITORING OF THE APPROACH BY THE FIRST OFFICER, WHICH RESULTED IN A FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE DURING THE APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TERRAIN AND WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 1990 · about 6:28 pm local time
- Place
- Elko, Nevada · Elko Muni/Jc Harris Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild SA227-AC · all SA227-ACs on the register
- Registration
- N2721M · no longer on the register · serial AC 716
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE FLT CREW OF SKYWEST AIRLINES FLT 5855 REQUESTED A VOR/DME-B APCH TO THE ELKO ARPT, WHICH WAS APPROVED. AS THE APCH CONTINUED, THE FLT CREW RPRTD OVER THE BULLION VOR. APRX 30 SEC LATER, THE ACFT CRASHED. IMPACT OCCURRED AT THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN, ABOUT 100' BEFORE REACHING THE VOR STATION. ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 6460 FT; MIN PUBLISHED CROSSING ALT AT THE VOR WAS 7000 FT. THE ARPT WAS 4.1 MI FROM THE VOR AT AN ELEVATION OF 5135 FT.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,314 hours in all; 5,337 in this make and model; 214 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days; 10,837 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,928 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 13, 1990; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,500 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skywest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 4:37 pm
- Destination: EKO Elko NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 7,211 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from EKO, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 9 | 3 |
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.