Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) SF-34OB incident near Texarkana, Arkansas, May 12, 1994
On May 12, 1994 at about 10:56 pm local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) SF-34OB, registered N254AE, suffered minor damage in an incident near Texarkana, Arkansas (Texarkana Regional airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 28 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO RETARD THE POWER LEVERS DURING A REJECTED TAKEOFF DUE TO HIS FAILURE TO PERFORM THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIRCRAFT OPERATING MANUAL. A FACTOR WAS THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CONFIGURATION LIGHT AS RESULT OF INSUFFICIENT REBOUND ON THE RIGHT CONDITION LEVER WHILE PLACED IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 1994 · about 10:56 pm local time
- Place
- Texarkana, Arkansas · Texarkana Regional
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 28 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) SF-34OB
- Registration
- N254AE · no longer on the register · serial 254
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CONFIGURATION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING TAKEOFF AT APPROXIMATELY 95 KNOTS. THE CAPTAIN INITIATED THE ABORT BY MOVING THE POWER LEVERS TO FLIGHT IDLE AND APPLYING MAXIMUM BRAKING. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT INITIALLY THE DECELERATION APPEARED NORMAL AND THE BRAKES BECAME INCREASINGLY INEFFECTIVE AND APPEARED TO FADE. SIGNS OF HEAVY BRAKING WERE FOUND ON THE RUNAWAY FOR 3,400 FEET. THE CAPTAIN ALSO STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED SOME DIFFICULTY IN GETTING THE POWER LEVERS BACK BEYOND THE FLIGHT IDLE GATE. THE AIRPLANE ROLLED 205 FEET PAST THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD INTO A GRASS OVERRUN. SIMULATOR DEMONSTRATIONS WERE CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE REJECTED TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE. DEMONSTRATIONS CONCLUDED THAT IF THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY LIFTS UP ON THE BETA RANGE LOCK OUT TRIGGERS WHENEVER THE POWER LEVERS ARE IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION, THE POWER LEVERS WILL JAM INTO TEETH WHICH WILL PREVENT THE PILOT FROM RETARDING THE POWER LEVERS. THIS SCENARIO RESULTED IN AN OVERRUN IN THE SIMULATOR. ILLUMINATION OF THE CONFIGURATION LIGHT WAS DUE TO INSUFFICIENT REBOUND ON THE RIGHT CONDITION LEVER.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 1,581 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,651 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 12, 1994; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 29,000 lb
- Seats: 37
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CT7-9B (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wings West Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: TXK at 10:56 pm
- Destination: DFW Dfw Airport TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 6,600 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:05 pm from TXK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 25 |
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.