Beechcraft 1900D accident near Plattsburgh, New York, March 17, 2000
On March 17, 2000 at about 2:06 am local time, a Beechcraft 1900D, registered N858CA, was involved in an accident near Plattsburgh, New York (Clinton County Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 6 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the upper anchor bracket for the airstair door.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2000 · about 2:06 am local time
- Place
- Plattsburgh, New York · Clinton County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 6 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N858CA · registry record · serial UE-72
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
All passengers except one had disembarked from the airplane. As the last passenger approached the first step of the airstairs, he 'lost his balance,' and reached for the right side guide cable. The top anchor bracket of the guide cable became disconnected and the passenger fell down the stairs, striking the pavement with his right side. The anchor bracket was manufactured from an aluminum casting. Five months after the accident, a service bulletin was issued which addressed replacement of the upper anchor brackets for the airstair door forward and aft handrail cables. The replacement was required due to reports of separations of the upper anchor brackets. The bulletin also stated, 'Separation of these handrail cable upper anchor brackets can result in the airstair door becoming unstable in addition to loss of handrail support for crew, maintenance personnel or passengers when using the handrail.' The new upper anchor bracket was an improved design machined from steel alloy.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 16,950 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTU Burlington VT at 1:45 am
- Destination: PLB
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:03 am from PLB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 4 |
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 N858CA 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.