Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A incident near Dulles, Virginia, June 9, 2005
On June 9, 2005 at about 1:37 am local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A, registered N40SZ, suffered minor damage in an incident near Dulles, Virginia (Washington Dulles Internationa 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
Failure of the right main landing gear to extend and lock for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapsing during touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2005 · about 1:37 am local time
- Place
- Dulles, Virginia · Washington Dulles Internationa · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 30 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340A
- Registration
- N40SZ · no longer on the register · serial 40
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the approach, the flightcrew was unable to get the right main landing gear extended and locked. After several attempts, while conferring with the checklist and company personnel, the flightcrew performed an emergency landing with the unsafe landing gear indication. During the landing, the right main landing gear slowly collapsed, and the airplane came to rest off the right side of the runway. Examination of the right main landing gear revealed that the retract actuator fitting was secured with two fasteners, a smaller bolt, and a larger bolt. The nut and cotter key were not recovered with the smaller bolt, and 8 of the 12 threads on the smaller bolt were stripped consistent with an overstress pulling of the nut away from the bolt. The larger bolt was bent and separated near the head, consistent with a tension and overstress separation as a result of the smaller bolt failure. The overstress failures were consistent with the right main landing gear not being locked in the extended position when aircraft weight was applied; however, examination of the right main landing gear down lock system could not determine any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. Further, the right main landing gear retract actuator was tomography scanned, and no anomalies were noted. The unit was then functionally tested at the manufacturer's facility, under the supervision of an FAA inspector. The unit tested successfully, with no anomalies noted.
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: 4,673 hours in all; 3,476 in this make and model; 205 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 2,660 as pilot in command; 18 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,050 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 249 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 41,441 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 1, 2005; 164 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 28,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CT75A2 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CT75A2 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Shuttle America Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: HPN White Plains NY at 11:30 pm
- Destination: IAD Dulles VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19L, 11,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from IAD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 27 |
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.