Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340B incident near Lawton, Oklahoma, February 22, 1998
On February 22, 1998 at about 4:21 pm local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340B, registered N396AE, suffered minor damage in an incident near Lawton, Oklahoma (Lawton-Fort Sill Regional airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the collapse of the left main landing gear during landing roll as result of a shorted weight-on-wheels relay. Contributing factors were the insufficient information available to the flight crew in the company's quick reference handbook (QRH), and the manufacturer's inadequate protection of the weight-on-wheels relay from moisture.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 1998 · about 4:21 pm local time
- Place
- Lawton, Oklahoma · Lawton-Fort Sill Regional · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340B
- Registration
- N396AE · no longer on the register · serial 340B-396
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the flight crew reported smelling an odor similar to burning/smoldering electrical equipment and noticed that the landing gear control circuit breaker had popped. The flight crew consulted the company's Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). The QRH addressed hydraulic problems and failed to discuss possible electrical problems related to the operation of the landing gear. The company's maintenance facility was appraised of the situation; however, the maintenance person on duty was not able to assist the flight crew. Three tower fly-bys were made. The flight attendant and tower personnel reported that the landing gear appeared to be down and the gear doors were closed. The flight crew elected to land with the light on the gear handle indicating an 'in-transit' condition and the two main landing gear indicators in the 'unsafe' condition. The left main landing gear on the twin-engine transport category airplane collapsed during the landing roll. Examination revealed that the weight-on-wheels relay, which is located in the avionics bay directly under the captain's station, shorted, and as a result, the landing gear control circuit breaker popped. The electrical short was attributed to the spill of a soda can on the flight deck on a previous flight. The investigation revealed that the cockpit floor was not carpeted or sealed to prevent fluids/moisture from seeping into the electrical compartment beneath the cockpit floor. A review of the emergency extension system for the airplane revealed that the landing gear could have been extended if the fight crew had pulled the emergency extension handle.
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: 7,993 hours in all; 2,341 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,579 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 27, 1997; 334 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 29,000 lb
- Seats: 37
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CT7-9B (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Simmons Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dfw Airport TX at 3:19 pm
- Destination: LAW
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 8,599 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:29 pm from LAW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.