Embraer EMB-120 RT incident near Denver, Colorado, July 21, 1992
On July 21, 1992 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Embraer EMB-120 RT, registered N221YV, was involved in an incident near Denver, Colorado (Stapleton International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 26 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
OPEN AIR GROUND CIRCUIT BREAKERS THAT ALLOWED THE PROPELLERS TO OVERSPEED. A FACTOR WAS: CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1992 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Stapleton International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 26 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB-120 RT · all EMB-120 RTs on the register
- Registration
- N221YV · no longer on the register · serial 120.221
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CAPTAIN WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE WITH HIS RIGHT HAND RESTING ON THE POWER CONTROLS. AS THE AIRPLANE TURNED ONTO FINAL APPROACH, IT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE OF SUFFICIENT INTENSITY THAT THE CAPTAIN'S FEET CAME OFF THE RUDDER PEDALS. HE FELT A 'CLICK' IN HIS HAND AND 'THERE WAS AN INSTANTANEOUS PROPELLER OVERSPEED.' THE ENGINE WAS EVENTUALLY SECURED BY CLOSING THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE AND AN UNEVENTFUL NO FLAP LANDING WAS MADE. POST INCIDENT EXAMINATION DISCLOSED BOTH AIR GROUND CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE OPEN. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS FOUND TO BE FUNCTIONALLY DESTROYED. A READOUT OF THE DIGITAL FLIGHT DATA RECORDER DISCLOSED THE MAXIMUM LEFT AND RIGHT PROPELLER RPM VALUES ATTAINED WERE 150.49% AND 120.4%, RESPECTIVELY. VERTICAL ACCELERATION VALUES RANGED FROM .647 TO 1.26 G'S, AND LONGITUDINAL ACCELERATION VALUES RANGED FROM .037 TO .096 G'S. THE RIGHT ENGINE TORQUE PEAKED AT 37%, WHILE THE LEFT ENGINE TORQUE REMAINED AT 0%. RIGHT ENGINE FUEL FLOW WAS 16% TO 19% LOWER THAN LEFT ENGINE FUEL FLOW, AND PROPELLER IMBALANCE VALUES FOR THE LEFT ENGINE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50% HIGHER THAN THOSE RECORDED FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,950 hours in all; 179 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 5,920 as pilot in command; 440 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,928 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 20, 1992; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 25,353 lb
- Seats: 33
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW-118A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesa Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DRO Durango CO at 10:45 pm
- Destination: DEN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 8,599 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| 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.
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.