Dornier 328-300 incident near Wellman, Ohio, March 13, 2003
On March 13, 2003 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Dornier 328-300, registered N419FJ, suffered minor damage in an incident near Wellman, Ohio (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight encounter with lightning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2003 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wellman, Ohio · Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Dornier 328-300 · all 328-300s on the register
- Registration
- N419FJ · no longer on the register · serial 3173
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was on approach to the airport, descending from 16,000 feet to 11,000 feet. The airplane was flying through light rain, which became heavier. The captain then asked ATC for a 20-degree right turn due to weather. ATC approved the request, but soon after turning on to the new heading, the airplane was struck by lightning.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 688 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 4, 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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 1,248 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 6,300 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 16, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,528 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 28, 2003; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 34,789 lb
- Seats: 34
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PW 306 B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2:; 0 hours total
- Operator: Atlantic Coast Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: TOL Toledo OH at 2:33 pm
- Destination: CVG Covington KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 11,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,300 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 3:18 pm from CVG, 48 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 12 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC03IA066.