Amateur-built SD3-60-200 accident near Jamaica, New York, May 11, 1990
On May 11, 1990 at about 4:25 pm local time, a amateur-built SD3-60-200, registered N381MQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jamaica, New York (John F. Kennedy airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT FACTOR IN THAT THE PILOT TAXIED INTO A HOLD POSITION THAT WAS TOO CLOSE TO A DEPARTING B-747, WHICH RESULTED IN THE A/C BEING BLOWN INTO A BLAST FENCE. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE LACK OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION FROM THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE FLIGHT CREW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM WHICH TO BASE THEIR DECISION ON THE PLACEMENT OF THE AIRPLANE BEHIND THE DEPARTING 747.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 1990 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Jamaica, New York · John F. Kennedy · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SD3-60-200
- Registration
- N381MQ · registry record · serial SH3703
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FLIGHT 335 A SD3-60 WAS CLEARED TO TAXI INTO POSITION AND HOLD BEHIND A DEPARTING B-747-400. AS FLIGHT 335 TAXIED FORWARD OF THE HOLD LINE. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND WAS BLOWN INTO THE BLAST FENCE BY THE THRUST OF THE DEPARTING AIRPLANE. THE PIC HAD 44 HOURS IN TYPE WITH 10 HOURS AS PIC AND HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN AN ATR-42 F/O. THE SIC HAD 49 HOURS IN TYPE AND CAME FROM GENERAL AVIATION. SHORT BROTHERS, THE MANUFACUTURER WAS QUERIED AS TO THE EFFECT OF HIGH VELOCITY WIND ON THE AIRPLANE. THEY STATED A WIND OF APPROXIMATELY 70 KTS PERPENDICULAR TO THE FUSELAGE COULD UPSET THE AIRPLANE. THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PILOTS IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL OR THE OPERATOR. THE COMPANY HAD A CREW PARING POLICY PROHIBITING THE PAIRING OF TWO LOW TIME CREWMEMBERS TOGETHER. THIS WAS WAIVED BY THE VP FLIGHT FOR THE CREW ONLY POSITIONING FLIGHT.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 1,965 as pilot in command; 660 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 26,553 lb
- Seats: 40
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-65AR (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFK Jamaica NY
- Destination: POU Poughkeepsie NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from JFK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.