Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A accident near Charleston, West Virginia, July 21, 2002
On July 21, 2002 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A, registered N110XJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charleston, West Virginia (Yeager Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 35 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The vehicle driver's failure to maintain clearance of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2002 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, West Virginia · Yeager Airport · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 35 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A
- Registration
- N110XJ · no longer on the register · serial 110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the airplane was standing at the gate, with the engines not operating, the flightcrew requested that a ground power unit (GPU) be reconnected to the airplane. An employee on the ground drove a ground service vehicle, with a GPU attached, toward the airplane. As the ground service vehicle approached the airplane, it struck an aft section of fuselage.
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: 3,500 hours in all; 2,400 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 1,600 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 6, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command; 1,100 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 17, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31,299 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 10, 2002; 193 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 28,000 lb
- Seats: 33
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CT7-5A2 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CT7-5A2 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesaba Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CRW Charleston WV
- Destination: DTW Detroit MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 400 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:39 pm from CRW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 32 |
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 N110XJ 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.