Beech 1900D accident near Portland, Oregon, April 6, 1997
On April 6, 1997 at about 8:48 pm local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N75ZV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Portland, Oregon (Portland International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 14 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flightcrew's inadequate preflight, and the ramp agent's inadequate dispatch of the aircraft. The unsecured cargo door was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1997 · about 8:48 pm local time
- Place
- Portland, Oregon · Portland International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 14 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N75ZV · no longer on the register · serial UE-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The ramp agent handling the flight, who is required by company procedures to check doors secured during a pre-departure check, stated, '...upon my releasing them to taxi I did not notice anything different, all doors were closed.' The captain reported that as the gear was brought up on takeoff, the flightcrew heard a 'loud wind noise.' He stated that they had no indications of anything wrong on the annunciator panel (which contains a red CARGO DOOR warning light to indicate that the cargo door is open or not secure.) He reported that they then looked in the back of the aircraft, and the passengers told them that the cargo door had come open. The crew then returned to land. An inventory of the cargo compartment contents after landing revealed that no baggage had been lost. During postaccident examination of the aircraft, the aft cargo door locking handle was observed in the unlocked position as the door was swung down, and visual inspection of the aft cargo door locks, switches, and annunciator cargo door warning systems found no discrepancies with the aft cargo door or its indicating/warning system.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 8,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 16,950 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDX at 3:46 am
- Destination: YKM Yakima WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10L, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 12 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N75ZV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.