British Aerospace BA-3101 accident near Kennewick, Washington, October 7, 1987
On October 7, 1987 at about 5:38 am local time, a British Aerospace BA-3101, registered N406UE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kennewick, Washington (Vista airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1987 · about 5:38 am local time
- Place
- Kennewick, Washington · Vista · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BA-3101
- Registration
- N406UE · no longer on the register · serial 759
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A FLIGHT TO PASCO, WA. THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY LANDED AT THE KENNEWICK, WA. VISTA AIRPORT, LANDED LONG, AND OVERRAN THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED TERRAIN.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,693 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 205 in the last 90 days; 5,336 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 177 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 26, 1987; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,212 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: North Pacific Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: PDX Portland OR at 5:00 am
- Destination: PSC Pasco WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 2, 3,490 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 am from PSC, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.