Fokker F27 accident near Bemidji, Minnesota, September 30, 1989
On September 30, 1989 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Fokker F27, registered N280MA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bemidji, Minnesota (Bemidji airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 29 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE AND COMPENSATE FOR THE DOWNDRAFT ENCOUNTERED WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1989 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bemidji, Minnesota · Bemidji · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 29 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fokker F27
- Registration
- N280MA · registry record · serial 10522
- 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 SKED FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED BRAINERD, MN ON TIME AND WITH NO DESCREPANCY NOTED BY THE CREW. THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED NORMALLY UNTIL ON FINAL APPROACH FOR RWY 31 AT BEMIDJI. THE LCL WX OBS RPTD WIND FROM 200 DEGREES MAG AT ONLY 5 KNOTS, RECORDED PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT INITIATING THE APPROACH FOR LANDING. (CVR) TRANSCRIPT INDICATED THE CREW EXPERIENCED STRONGER WINDS THAN FCSTD AND RPTD, BUT NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THE CREW TO ABORT THE LANDING. THE CREW RPTD A LOSS OF LIFT OVER THE THRESHOLD JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, WITH THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING HARD ON THE RWY. DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE ACFT AFTER PAX'S HAD BEEN DEPLANED AT THE TERMINAL. TREES BORDER THE AIRPORT PERIMETER, WHICH THE CREW FELT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE WIND INSTABILITY AND POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. NO RECORDING DEVICE WAS INSTALLED AT THE AIRPORT TO INDICATE WIND SHEAR OR INSTABILITY.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 37,058 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 26, 1989; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 45,000 lb
- Seats: 44
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce S32-7R (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesaba Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: BRD Brainerd MN at 2:25 pm
- Destination: BJI Bemidji MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 6,598 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from BJI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 26 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N280MA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.