British Aerospace BA146-200A accident near Fresno, California, February 28, 1987
On February 28, 1987 at about 4:00 am local time, a British Aerospace BA146-200A, registered N356PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fresno, California (Fresno Air Terminal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 87 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO ADEQUATELY EXAMINE THE ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM WHEN CONTAMINATION WAS DETECTED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1987 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Fresno, California · Fresno Air Terminal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 87 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BA146-200A
- Registration
- N356PS · registry record · serial E2039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL DURING TAKEOFF AND CLIMB TO AN ASSIGNED CRUISE ALTITUDE OF FL260. APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE NUMBER 3 ENGINE EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE TURBINE BLADES ON THE NUMBER 4 POWER TURBINE WHEEL. ALTHOUGH DEBRIS FROM THE ENGINE PENETRATED THE PRESSURE VESSEL, THE PILOT MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LANDING AT AN AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT FERROUS CHIPS WERE CONTAMINATING, AND OIL WAS BYPASSING THE ENGINE OIL FILTER FOR AT LEAST 40 DAYS. HOWEVER, NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. THE OIL AND FILTER WERE CHANGED THREE TIMES IN THE THREE MONTHS PREVIOUS TO THE ACCIDENT. THE EXAM REVEALED THAT THE CONTAMINATED OIL CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER FOUR TURBINE BEARING SUBSEQUENTLY LEADING TO OVERHEATING AND DAMAGE TO THE OVERSPEED SENSORS. THE TURBINE OVERSPED AND THE TURBINE BLADES DEPARTED THE TURBINE DISC.
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: 19,592 hours in all; 1,579 in this make and model; 128 in the last 90 days; 18,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,662 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 21, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 95,000 lb
- Seats: 109
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming ALF502R-5 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pacific Southwest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA at 2:02 am
- Destination: RNO Reno NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11L, 9,218 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from FAT, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 83 |
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.