Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 incident near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, December 11, 1989
On December 11, 1989 at about 10:28 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registered N416AA, was involved in an incident near Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Metropolitan Ryan Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 149 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE CAPTAIN'S EXCESSIVE SPEED DURING A TURN OFF OF THE RUNWAY, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE WET TAXIWAY WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 1989 · about 10:28 pm local time
- Place
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana · Metropolitan Ryan Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 149 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 · all DC-9-82s on the register
- Registration
- N416AA · registry record · serial 49327
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING, THE FLT CREW INITIATED A 135 DEG TURN OFF OF THE RWY & ONTO A TWY. ACCORDING TO FDR DATA, THE TURN WAS INITIATED AT 38 KIAS. THE CAPT RPRTD THAT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY THRU THE TURN. THE NOSEWHEEL WENT OFF THE TWY & INTO DEEP MUD. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING OR BRAKES.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,600 hours in all; 1,428 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 150,500 lb
- Seats: 149
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BNA Nashville TN at 8:47 pm
- Destination: BTR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 6,900 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 142 |
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.