British Aerospace BAE-3101 accident near Decatur, Texas, March 25, 1988
On March 25, 1988 at about 2:30 pm local time, a British Aerospace BAE-3101, registered N411AE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Decatur, Texas. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AIRPLANE'S ENCOUNTER WITH ROUGHT TERRAIN DURING AN ATTEMPTED FORCED LANDING. THE FORCED LANDING WAS NECESSITATED AFTER THE CAPTAIN USED IMPROPER PROCEDURES TO SHUTDOWN THE LEFT ENGINE IN FLIGHT FOLLOWING AN UNEXPLAINED TORQUE FLUCTUATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 1988 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Decatur, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BAE-3101
- Registration
- N411AE · registry record · serial 671
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COPLT WAS FLYING THE ACFT AS IT WAS BEING FERRIED AFTER MINOR MAINTENANCE. AS THEY WERE IN A DESCENT AND WERE APCHG THE DESTN ARPT, THE CAPT NOTED A LEFT ENG TORQUE FLUCTUATION OF 20% TO 30% & ELECTED TO SECURE THE ENG, ALTHOUGH NO YAWING WAS NOTICED. DRG SHUTDOWN, THE LEFT PROP DID NOT FEATHER & DRAG INCREASED UNTIL THE ACFT WOULD NOT SUSTAIN LEVEL FLT. AN ATTEMPTED RESTART OF THE LEFT ENG WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, SO THE CAPT TRIED TO FEATHER IT AGAIN. HOWEVER, THE LEFT PROP STILL DID NOT FEATHER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLTS WERE FORCED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD ON UNEVEN TERRAIN & THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED. AN EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION WAS MADE, BUT NO CAUSE COULD BE FOUND FOR THE TORQUE FLUCTUATION, NOR COULD THE CONDITION BE DUPLICATED, HOWEVER, THE INVESTIGATION DID NOTE THAT THE AIR & GROUND PROCEDURES FOR ENG SHUTDOWN WERE SIMILAR. A VARIATION IN THE GROUND SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES ALLOWED FOR ENGAGEMENT OF THE START LATCHES.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,841 hours in all; 2,100 in this make and model; 246 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 3,230 as pilot in command; 726 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,475 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 3, 1988; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,212 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chaparral Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SPS Wichita Falls TX at 2:05 pm
- Destination: DFW Dallas TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:48 pm from DFW, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.