Aerospatiale SN-601 accident near Portland, Oregon, March 19, 1998
On March 19, 1998 at about 5:18 pm local time, a Aerospatiale SN-601, registered N600RA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Portland, Oregon (Portland International airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's decision to attempt takeoff with the right engine inoperative, resulting in his failure to maintain directional control or attain adequate airspeed during the takeoff attempt. Factors included a fractured right engine starter-generator drive shaft, resulting in an inability to perform a normal engine start on the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1998 · about 5:18 pm local time · cases in 1998
- Place
- Portland, Oregon · Portland International · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale SN-601
- Registration
- N600RA · registry record · serial 36
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recording indicated that the pilot was unable to start the right engine before takeoff, and elected to attempt takeoff with the right engine inoperative. Witnesses reported that the airplane's nose lifted off about 4,100 feet down the runway and that it then became airborne with its wings rocking, attaining a maximum altitude of 5 to 10 feet above the ground before settling back to the ground, departing the right side of the runway and entering an upright slide for about 1/2 mile. Investigators removed the right engine starter-generator from the engine after the accident and found the starter-generator drive shaft to be fractured. The aircraft has a minimum crew requirement of two, consisting of pilot and copilot; the copilot's seat occupant, a private pilot-rated passenger, did not hold a multiengine rating and thus was not qualified to act as second-in-command of the aircraft.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 4,400 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,306 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 1, 1997; 146 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,432 lb
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: RDM Redmond OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10L, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from PDX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N600RA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aerospatiale 178 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4 3 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Portland International · nearest airport
- Roberts Fld/Redmond Municipal · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,001 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA98FA047.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.