Amateur-built SD3-60 incident near Albany, New York, March 24, 1989
On March 24, 1989 at about 5:15 pm local time, a amateur-built SD3-60, registered N163DD, was involved in an incident near Albany, New York. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE CREW'S FAILURE TO USE FULL ENGINE ANTI-ICE SYSTEMS WHICH RESULTED IN ICE BLOCKING THE ENGINE INLETS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1989 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, New York · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SD3-60
- Registration
- N163DD · registry record · serial 106040
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
COMMAND AIRWAYS FLT 4887, REPORTED THE LOSS OF POWER ON BOTH ENGINES WHILE FLYING IMC AT A CRUISE ALT OF 7000 FEET ABOUT 28 NM SOUTH OF ALBANY, NY. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE AND LAND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBLEM. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF WATER FOUND IN THE COWLING OF BOTH ENGINES. TESTS SHOWED NO DISCREPANCIES IN EITHER ENGINE. AT THE TIME OF THE FLAME OUTS, THE CREW HAD 'ON' LEVEL 3 ANTI-ICE, MINUS THE ENGINE COWLING VEINS AND WINDSHEILD.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 1,700 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,570 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 20, 1989; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 27,200 lb
- Seats: 36
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGA New York City NY at 4:50 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from ALB, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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.