NTSB SEA90IA085 — 1990-05-23 · OLYMPIA, Washington, United States

Current FAA registration · N27442

Make / Model: FAIRCHILD SA227-AC
Year of manufacture: 1989 · 1 years old at event
Engine: AIRESEARCH TPE331 SERIES (904 hp)
Seats / Engines: 12 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date: 19891004
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A2B857

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N27442 Fairchild SA227 Minor

Probable cause & findings

DUE TO AN ICE BUILD-UP DEPARTING THE PROPELLER AND STRIKING THE CABIN WINDOW.

Factual narrative

WHILE DESCENDING FROM 14,000 FEET, THE SECOND ROW RIGHT SIDE CABIN WINDOW SUDDENLY BLEW OUT. AN EMERGENCY DESCENT WAS INITIATED TO THE AIRPORT WHERE THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE WINDOW AND FRAME WERE INSPECTED AND NOTED THAT THE FRAME AND CONNECTING BOLTS APPEARED UNDAMAGED. TWO INDENTATIONS WERE NOTED ON THE FUSELAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE WINDOW AND AFT OF THE ICE PROTECTION PLATE. PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO THE WINDOW BLOW OUT, LOUD BUMPS OR THUMPS WERE HEARD. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_SEA90IA085.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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