Fairchild Dornier DO-328-300 incident near New York, New York, July 28, 2002
On July 28, 2002 at about 5:49 pm local time, a Fairchild Dornier DO-328-300, registered N409FJ, was involved in an incident near New York, New York (La Guardia airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 35 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of flight display information for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2002 · about 5:49 pm local time
- Place
- New York, New York · La Guardia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 35 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Dornier DO-328-300
- Registration
- N409FJ · no longer on the register · serial 3161
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The crew reported a partial loss of flight display information shortly after departure, declared an emergency, and landed uneventfully at the departure airport. This was the operator's fourth reported instance where this type of event had occurred on this make/model airplane. As a result of the investigation, no failure could be identified that would have caused the loss of flight displays. In addition, the manufacturer reviewed the design of the electrical system and could not identify a design failure.
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: 2,000 hours in all; 204 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 1,076 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 21, 2002; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 33,841 lb
- Seats: 35
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney 306 B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney 306 B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Atlantic Coast Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: LGA New York NY at 5:49 pm
- Destination: CAE Columbia SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from LGA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 32 |
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.