Embraer 145LR accident near Roanoke, Virginia, October 17, 2001
On October 17, 2001 at about 2:14 am local time, a Embraer 145LR, registered N825MJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roanoke, Virginia (Roanoke Regional airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 33 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the captain's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush, and hard landing. Factors were the failure of both pilots to follow company CRM and flight manual procedures, and the captains improper approach briefing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2001 · about 2:14 am local time
- Place
- Roanoke, Virginia · Roanoke Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 33 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer 145LR
- Registration
- N825MJ · no longer on the register · serial 145179
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain briefed a "no go-around" for a night visual approach to a "Special Airport." The approach was not stabilized, and the airspeed decreased to the point of a stall. The airplane struck the runway in a nose high pitch attitude, on the aft fuselage, and settled on the landing gear. The first officer made initial callouts of slow airspeed and then stopped when the captain failed to respond to her callouts. After landing, the airplane was taxied to the gate where a post flight inspection limited to the main landing gear did not find the damage. When interviewed, the captain reported that she briefed "no go-around" because no takeoffs were authorized on the runway at night or in IMC conditions; however, the first officer knew this was incorrect, but did not challenge the captain. Both pilots had received CRM training, which included crewmember assertiveness, methods of fostering crew input, and situational awareness, and training on special use airports; however it was not followed by either pilot. The captain's handling of the airplane was outside the parameters specified in the company manuals. Both pilots were described to having good flying skills. The captain said the first officer was passive and quiet. The first officer reported the captain was defensive and did not take criticism very well. A definition of stabilized approach criteria was not found in the company manuals. An FAA Advisory Circular dated August 10, 2000 defined stabilized approach criteria, and actions to be taken if the approach was not stabilized.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,548 hours in all; 213 in this make and model; 213 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 1,499 as pilot in command; 1,170 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 10, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,919 hours in all; 758 in this make and model; 138 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 356 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,335.9 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 16, 2001; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 48,722 lb
- Seats: 54
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Allison AE3007A1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Allison AE3007A1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesa Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: PIT Pittsburgh VA at 1:09 am
- Destination: ROA Roanoke
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 5,800 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from ROA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 30 |
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.