NTSB MKC89FA202 — 1989-09-30 · BEMIDJI, Minnesota, United States

N280MA has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 8GCBC, built 2004), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N280MA Fokker F27 None

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE AND COMPENSATE FOR THE DOWNDRAFT ENCOUNTERED WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH.

Factual narrative

THE SKED FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED BRAINERD, MN ON TIME AND WITH NO DESCREPANCY NOTED BY THE CREW. THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED NORMALLY UNTIL ON FINAL APPROACH FOR RWY 31 AT BEMIDJI. THE LCL WX OBS RPTD WIND FROM 200 DEGREES MAG AT ONLY 5 KNOTS, RECORDED PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT INITIATING THE APPROACH FOR LANDING. (CVR) TRANSCRIPT INDICATED THE CREW EXPERIENCED STRONGER WINDS THAN FCSTD AND RPTD, BUT NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THE CREW TO ABORT THE LANDING. THE CREW RPTD A LOSS OF LIFT OVER THE THRESHOLD JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, WITH THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING HARD ON THE RWY. DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE ACFT AFTER PAX'S HAD BEEN DEPLANED AT THE TERMINAL. TREES BORDER THE AIRPORT PERIMETER, WHICH THE CREW FELT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE WIND INSTABILITY AND POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. NO RECORDING DEVICE WAS INSTALLED AT THE AIRPORT TO INDICATE WIND SHEAR OR INSTABILITY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_MKC89FA202.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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