Fokker F28 MK 0100 accident near Boston, Massachusetts, February 6, 2001
On February 6, 2001 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Fokker F28 MK 0100, registered N1457B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boston, Massachusetts (Logan International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 30 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the flight crew to follow the checklist prior to engine start, and their subsequent diverted attention during engine start.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2001 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Boston, Massachusetts · Logan International · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 30 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fokker F28 MK 0100
- Registration
- N1457B · no longer on the register · serial 11469
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During engine start, while being pushed back, both engines went to a high power setting. The airplane pushed forward against the tow bar, sheared a pin, bent the tow bar, and struck the tug. Before engine start, maintenance personnel had conducted an automated check which included automatic movements of the control wheel and throttles. The flight crew returned to their seats while the test was being conducted. At the completion of the test, the airplane was returned to service and maintenance personnel departed the cockpit. The captain initiated the BEFORE STARTING ENGINES checklist without either pilot first completing a cockpit flow setup as required by company procedures. The checklist was then interrupted by a cockpit visitor and a non-pertinent conversation took place for 3 1/2 minutes. When the checklist was resumed, several items had been missed. As the checklist was continued, the call out THRUST LEVERS was made by the first officer, and the correct response of CLOSED was given by the captain. Push back was initiated, and the captain verbalized starting the first engine as required by the checklist. As the first engine was being started, the captain initiated another non-pertinent conversation with the first officer. The second engine was then started without verbalization as required by company checklist procedures. Although company checklist procedures made both pilots responsible for ensuring a normal start, neither pilot detected that the engines were accelerating above normal idle. According to follow-up testing, the engines accelerated to a power setting that corresponded to the last position of the throttles at the completion of the automated test by maintenance.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 24, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 1,550 as pilot in command; 1,100 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 29, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,871 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 9, 2000; 864 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 98,000 lb
- Seats: 94
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce Tay 650-15 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOS Boston MA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: DCA Washington DC
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from BOS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| 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.
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.