Raytheon Aircraft Company 1900D incident near Page, Arizona, March 26, 2008
On March 26, 2008 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company 1900D, registered N261GL, suffered minor damage in an incident during takeoff near Page, Arizona (Page Municipal airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 13 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s unprofessional behavior and deviation from standard operating procedures which resulted in an in-flight emergency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2008 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Page, Arizona · Page Municipal · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 13 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company 1900D
- Registration
- N261GL · registry record · serial UE261
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The scheduled air carrier was departing from an airport. During taxi, cockpit voice recorder data indicated that the first officer was stating and verifying the checklists, as well as taxiing the airplane. Company standard operating procedures required that those checklists be called out by one crewmember and verified by the other. The flight crew spoke of personal matters and did not follow the sterile cockpit regulations as specified by 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 21.542. The captain stated that during takeoff, the cargo door light illuminated, the aft cargo door opened, and the flight crew returned to land at the airport. According to the airplane manufacturer, if the door is not closed and locked, a cockpit light will illuminate indicating that the door is not secure. Following the accident, operation of the door and functionality of the cockpit indicator light were verified. The cargo door indicator light is to be checked by both crewmembers on the Before Takeoff checklist. Due to the flight crew’s lack of professionalism and deviation from standard operating procedures, they most likely did not see that the light was illuminated prior to departure.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Organizational issues › Management › Culture › (general) › Operator
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Flight crew
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Flight crew
- cause Organizational issues › Management › Culture › Standard operating practices › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 2,228 in this make and model; 258 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 1,408 as pilot in command; 317 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 2, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,190 hours in all; 1,085 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 940 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24,078.3 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 1, 2008; 12.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 17,230 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Great Lakes Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PGA Page AZ at 7:20 pm
- Destination: FMN Farmington NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 15, 5,950 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PGA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 11 |
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.