Flagship Airlines Flight 3379
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|
 Wreckage of the aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 13, 1994 |
| Summary | Loss of control during go-around, pilot error |
| Site | Morrisville, near Raleigh–Durham International Airport, North Carolina, United States 35°50′05″N 78°52′01″W / 35.83472°N 78.86694°W |
| Aircraft | |
.jpg) A Flagship Airlines Jetstream 32, similar to the one involved. | |
| Aircraft type | Jetstream 32 |
| Operator | Flagship Airlines dba American Eagle |
| Call sign | EAGLE FLIGHT 379 |
| Registration | N918AE |
| Flight origin | Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro, North Carolina |
| Destination | Raleigh–Durham International Airport, Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Occupants | 20 |
| Passengers | 18 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 15 |
| Injuries | 5 |
| Survivors | 5 |
On December 13, 1994, Flagship Airlines Flight 3379, a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Greensboro, North Carolina, to Raleigh, North Carolina, crashed during a go-around, killing 15 out of the 20 people on board. The aircraft, a British Aerospace Jetstream with 18 passengers and 2 crew members, was approaching Raleigh–Durham International Airport when the flight's captain decided to conduct a go-around after believing that one of the engines had failed. During the go-around, he failed to follow the procedures for a single-engine go-around. The aircraft stalled and crashed into a forest southwest of the airport. Both crew members as well as 13 passengers died; the 5 surviving passengers suffered serious injuries.[1][2]
The flight route from Greensboro to Raleigh is about 70 miles (110 km). Observers at the crash scene said it was foggy and sleeting. The airport reported a temperature of 37 °F (3 °C) with steady drizzle.[2]
Aircraft and crew
[edit]The crew for Flight 3379 were Captain Michael Hillis, 29, and First Officer Matthew Sailor, 25.[3]
The aircraft was manufactured in 1991 and had logged 6,577 flying hours.[4]
Investigation
[edit]On October 24, 1995, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released their report on the crash. The crash was blamed on Captain Hillis incorrectly assuming that an engine had failed. Hillis also failed to follow approved procedures for engine failure single-engine approach, go-around, and stall recovery. Flagship Airlines management was blamed for failing to identify, document, monitor, and remedy deficiencies in pilot performance and training.[5][6]
Memorial
[edit]In May 2016, a memorial was dedicated at Carpenter Park in Cary, NC, USA to the passengers, crew, families, and responders of both Flight 3379 and AVAir Flight 3378, which crashed near RDU Airport in 1988.[7]
In popular culture
[edit]The crash was featured on season 22 of the Canadian documentary series Mayday, in the episode titled "Turboprop Terror".[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Description". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
- ^ a b Jackson, Robert L. (December 14, 1994). "American Eagle Plane Crashes in N.C.; 15 Killed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
- ^ "Engine Failed Before Crash". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "NTSB". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. May 10, 1995. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- ^ "Uncontrolled collision with terrain, Flagship Airlines, Inc., dba American Eagle Flight 3379, BAe Jetstream 3201, N918AE, Morrisville, North Carolina, December 13, 1994" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. October 24, 1995. NTSB/AAR-95/07. Retrieved December 16, 2019 – via Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
- ^ "NTSB Identification: DCA95MA006". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. June 22, 1996. DCA95MA006. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- ^ "Cary memorial names fallen from pair of Triangle plane crashes". WRAL-TV. May 14, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 at IMDb
