Fairchild Dornier 328-300 accident near Hebron, Kentucky, September 2, 2003
On September 2, 2003 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Fairchild Dornier 328-300, registered N413FJ, was involved in an accident near Hebron, Kentucky (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 23 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger's inadvertent fall while attempting to board. A factor was the lack of a company requirement for a person to assist passengers in boarding the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2003 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Hebron, Kentucky · Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 23 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Dornier 328-300
- Registration
- N413FJ · no longer on the register · serial 3168
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The passenger attempted to board the airplane. After she raised her foot to step on the first step of the air stair door, she placed her foot back on the ground and lost her balance. Measurements of the step revealed its height above the ground varied between 10.25 inches and 12.75 inches depending upon passenger and baggage load. The air stair door was equipped with a single hand rail on the right side of the stairs which did not extend to the bottom step. The company station manual required a person to standby at the bottom of the stairs to assist on passenger deplaning; however, this was not required for passenger boarding.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,100 hours in all; 845 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 17, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,030 hours in all; 1,060 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 13, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,111 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 21, 2003; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 33,841 lb
- Seats: 35
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney 306B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney 306B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Atlantic Coast Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: Hebron KY
- Destination: TOL Toledo OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from CVG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 20 |
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 N413FJ 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.