British Aerospace 3100 accident near Dfw Airport, Texas, October 21, 1992
On October 21, 1992 at about 1:21 am local time, a British Aerospace 3100, registered N404AE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dfw Airport, Texas (Dfw International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 18 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL LOOKOUT AND CLEARANCE. THE CONGESTED RAMP WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 1992 · about 1:21 am local time
- Place
- Dfw Airport, Texas · Dfw International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 18 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace 3100
- Registration
- N404AE · registry record · serial 646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF WHEN IT STRUCK A PARKED GROUND POWER UNIT ON THE RAMP.
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: 14,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 163 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,736 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 16, 1992; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,322 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE 331-10VF (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Metro Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DFW
- Destination: ABI Abilene TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 16 |
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.