Canadair CL-600-2B19 incident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 14, 2002
On March 14, 2002 at about 3:21 pm local time, a Canadair CL-600-2B19, registered N960CA, was involved in an incident near Tulsa, Oklahoma (Tulsa Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 45 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the horizontal stabilizer control system for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2002 · about 3:21 pm local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · Tulsa Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 45 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL-600-2B19 · all CL-600-2B19s on the register
- Registration
- N960CA · no longer on the register · serial 7117
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after departure, the flight crew received STAB TRIM and MACH TRIM caution messages on the Electronic Information Control Advisory System (EICAS), and the horizontal stabilizer control system would not reset. The crew declared an emergency, and the flight returned to the departure airport and landed without incident. Company maintenance personnel removed and replaced the horizontal stabilizer trim control unit (HSTCU), and motor control unit (MCU) from the airplane, and the airplane was returned to service. The HSTCU and MCU were tested and examined per manufacturer specifications, and no anomalies were noted that would have contributed to the caution messages. The failure of the horizontal stabilizer control system was not determined.
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
- 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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: General Electric (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Comair INC
The flight
- Departed from: TUL Tulsa at 2:45 pm
- Destination: CVG Cincinnati OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 18 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.51 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from TUL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 42 |
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.