Dehavilland DHC-8-311 incident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 16, 2008
On November 16, 2008 at about 2:34 pm local time, a Dehavilland DHC-8-311, registered N326EN, suffered minor damage in an incident during approach near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia International airport). It was a business flight under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 38 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The mechanical overload of the nosewheel steering links for undetermined reasons, which resulted in nose landing gear rotation and its subsequent wedging within the wheel well structure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 2008 · about 2:34 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 38 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-8-311 · all DHC-8-311s on the register
- Registration
- N326EN · no longer on the register · serial 234
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on approach for landing. When the landing gear was selected to the extended position, the main landing gear extended properly but the nose landing gear did not. The crew performed a go-around, exited the airport airspace, and unsuccessfully attempted to extend the nose landing gear using several checklists and in consult with ground-based maintenance personnel. A subsequent fly-by of the air traffic control tower confirmed that the nose landing gear doors were open, but that the nose landing gear was not extended. The captain subsequently landed the airplane with the nose landing gear retracted and delayed lowering the nose until the slowest speed possible. The nose of the airplane contacted the runway and the airplane slid for about 525 feet before it stopped. There was no fire, and the passengers deplaned normally at the scene. On-site examination of the airplane and a laboratory examination of the nosegear components revealed that the steering links had been circumferentially loaded in tension beyond their load-carrying capacity. Failure of the steering links allowed the nosewheels to rotate in the wheel well and become wedged within the structure. Hardness testing satisfied the manufacturer's minimum requirements and no determination could be made as to when the overload occurred.
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
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,366 hours in all; 6,253 in this make and model; 2,726 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 24, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,553 hours in all; 2,005 in this make and model; 231 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 352 as pilot in command; 143 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 18, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,224 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 43,200 lb
- Seats: 54
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PTW 123 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PTW 123 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Piedmont Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: ABE Allentown PA at 12:50 pm
- Destination: PHL Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27L, 10,506 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 24 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from PHL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 35 |
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.