Fairchild SA-227-AC accident near San Antonio, Texas, September 18, 1992
On September 18, 1992 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Fairchild SA-227-AC, registered N2183A, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio Intl. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
THE LANDING CAPABILITY OF THE AIRPLANE WAS EXCEEDED. THE LACK OF PERFORMANCE DATA WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 1992 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · San Antonio Intl. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild SA-227-AC · all SA-227-ACs on the register
- Registration
- N2183A · registry record · serial AC422B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A FUNCTIONAL TEST FLIGHT AND QUALITATIVE ENGINEERING EVALUATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S LONGITUDINAL CONTROL DURING LANDING. DURING FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 12L, HE REDUCED THE ENGINES TO THE FLIGHT IDLE POSITIONS AND ESTABLISHED 95 KIAS. HE WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE FLARE TO ARREST THE DESCENT RATE AND LANDED HARD ONTO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RAMP AND SECURED. NO MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS FOUND OR REPORTED.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,936 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 18, 1992; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-11U (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fairchild Aircraft INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SAT at 5:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 8,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N2183A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.