Beech 1900D accident near Bangor, Maine, January 10, 1997
On January 10, 1997 at about 2:23 pm local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N139ZV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bangor, Maine (Bangor Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people had minor injuries; 9 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate flight and winter operations training provided by the operator, and the pilot's improper decision to abort the takeoff while airborne above V1, due to a false stall warning horn. Also casual was the airport operations improper decision to discontinue plowing, and their failure to remove a snow pile on the runway. Factors relating to the accident were an easterly crosswind, the narrow icy runway conditions, inadequate FAA oversight in allowing the operator to continue operations with an inadequate training program that continued over several years, and the manufacturer's checklist which delayed the activation of the stall vane heat until just prior to takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1997 · about 2:23 pm local time
- Place
- Bangor, Maine · Bangor Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 9 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N139ZV · no longer on the register · serial UE-139
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff roll, as the FO rotated the airplane, the stall warning horn activated. The airplane lifted from the runway with the stall horn on, and above V1 speed the PIC called out to abort. The FO aborted the takeoff and landed the airplane on the runway. The airplane then entered a snow bank on the left side of the runway. Service Difficulty Reports revealed other stall horn activation's had occurred on takeoff; several occurred after deicing and were attributed to frozen stall vanes on the wing. The accident airplane had been deiced prior to the takeoff. The BE1900 check list called for the stall vane heat to be turned on just before takeoff. Stall training provided by the operator did not include BE1900 simulators, and all recoveries were initiated at the stall horn. The FAA practical test standard for type ratings required the recognition of the stall buffet, stick shaker, or decay of control effectiveness. The flight crew had not received winter operations training, and this was the Boston based PIC's third takeoff in snow. Multiple FAA inspections over several years revealed the Operator was not in compliance with regulations, which included their training program; however, they continued to operate unrestricted. Airport operations had ceased snow plowing the 300 foot wide runway to accommodate airline operations, and reported the runway had been plowed 75 feet west and 150 feet east of runway center. The runway was measured to be plowed 55 feet left of center, with a 1 foot high, and 10 foot wide pile of snow on the west side of the runway. The plowed portion had an icy covering.
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: 5,800 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 207 in the last 90 days; 3,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,565 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,950 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesa Airlines INC.
The flight
- Departed from: BGR
- Destination: BOS Boston MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 11,439 ft by 300 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from BGR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.