Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A accident near Memphis, Tennessee, November 4, 1998
On November 4, 1998 at about 2:00 am local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A, registered N325PX, suffered minor damage in an accident near Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The ground crewmembers inadvertent walking into the path of a rotating propeller resulting in her being struck and fatally injured.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 1998 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Memphis, Tennessee · Memphis International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A
- Registration
- N325PX · no longer on the register · serial 340A-051
- 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 ground crewmember was positioned to the right front of the aircraft and assisted with the start of No. 2 engine. She then signaled for removal of ground power and the flightcrew gave her the signal to remove ground power. She walked directly from her position toward the ground power unit, located behind the right wing, and was struck by the rotating propeller, receiving fatal injuries. Postmortem examination of the ground crewmember showed the cause of death was blunt head injuries and there were no findings that could be considered causal to the accident. Toxicology testing on specimens from the ground crewmember were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol alcohol, and drugs. The tests were positive for salicylate and a detection of brompheniramine in urine. The company station operations manual warns ground crewmembers not to go under the wing of an aircraft if an engine on that wing is running.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 28,000 lb
- Seats: 36
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CT7-5A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Express Airlines One, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MEM at 2:00 am
- Destination: CVG Cincinatti OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from MEM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
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.