Fokker F28 Mk 0100 accident near Dfw Airport, Texas, October 3, 2001
On October 3, 2001 at about 1:36 pm local time, a Fokker F28 Mk 0100, registered N1448A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dfw Airport, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 86 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapse of the nose landing gear as a result of the failure of company maintenance personnel to follow the proper procedures for a towing the airplane with an unsafe nose landing gear indication. Contributing factors were the inadequate communication between the company maintenance personnel, the inaccurate instructions provided to the maintenance crew, and the failure of the nose landing gear's locking mechanism.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2001 · about 1:36 pm local time
- Place
- Dfw Airport, Texas · Dallas-Fort Worth Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 86 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fokker F28 Mk 0100
- Registration
- N1448A · no longer on the register · serial 11457
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on final approach to the runway the captain received an unsafe nose landing gear indication on the multi function display unit (MFDU) in the cockpit. The captain abandoned the approach and "recycled the gear per procedures to no avail." Subsequently, the airplane landed on runway 13R, rolled out, and came to a stop on the runway. An evacuation of the airplane was not initiated. A maintenance crew met the airplane on the runway and placed locking pins in the gear. Multiple simultaneous communications/conversations ensued between the maintenance crew, a maintenance supervisor, a maintenance crew chief and the flight crew. During the communications, the flight crew questioned maintenance personnel on whether or not it was necessary to strap the gear, the supervisor searched the maintenance manuals and didn't find any reference to strapping the gear, and informed the maintenance crew that it was not necessary to strap the gear prior to towing. Review of the maintenance manual found numerous warnings regarding towing the airplane with an unsafe nose landing gear indication. Meanwhile, a maintenance crew chief was informing the maintenance personnel that strapping of the gear was required; however, there was no strap at the airport. Despite a placard, located on the nose landing gear door, the maintenance crew attempted to tow the airplane without strapping the nose landing gear. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed and the nose of the airplane came to rest on the towbar. The passengers were then deplaned and transported to the terminal by a bus. Examination of the nose landing gear did not reveal the reason for the down-lock plunger to engage when the nose landing gear was extended.
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: 7,109 hours in all; 5,286 in this make and model; 126 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 994 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 413 hours in all; 413 in this make and model; 92 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 24, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,578 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 2, 2001; 1.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 98,000 lb
- Seats: 89
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce TAY-650-1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUL Tulsa OK at 12:12 pm
- Destination: DFW Dfw Airport TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13R, 9,301 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 30,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from DFW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 82 |
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.