Status:	Final
Date:	26 MAY 1987
Time:	16:45 CDT
Type:	British Aerospace 3101 Jetstream 31
Operating for:	Continental Express
Leased from:	Air New Orleans
Registration:	N331CY
C/n / msn:	742
First flight:	1987
Total airframe hrs:	147
Engines:	2 Garrett TPE331-10
Crew:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9
Total:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 11
Airplane damage:	Destroyed
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	New Orleans International Airport, LA (MSY) (United States of America)
Phase:	Takeoff (TOF)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	New Orleans International Airport, LA (MSY/KMSY), United States of America
Destination airport:	Valparaiso-Eglin AFB, FL (VPS/KVPS), United States of America
Flightnumber:	962

Narrative:
Taxi clearance was received at 16:35 and the flight left gate 14B for runway 19. The airplane was cleared for take-off at 16:44. Shortly after lifting off, at 200 feet above the ground, the engine torque gauges began to fluctuate erratically and the plane began to yaw back and forth. The captain believed the TTL (Torque Temperature Limiting) system may have been bypassing fuel to the engines (a situation that could occur when power levers are advanced too far forward). He then slightly decreased the power settings which resulted in even greater torque oscillations and greater yawing. The captain believed both engines were malfunctioning for some unknown reason and landed back on runway 19, because a 90deg turn for runway 28 seemed impossible. The aircraft overran the runway, struck a 6 feet high chain link fence, struck a concrete barrier and skidded across the Route 61 highway before coming to rest on a parking lot.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "A breakdown of the flight crew coordination which resulted in their failure to comply with the Before Takeoff Checklist and advance the RPM levers to the high RPM position, and the flight crew's failure to diagnose and remedy engine oscillations on initial climbout.
Contributing to the flight crew's failure to advance the RPM levers before take off was the fact that both crewmembers had limited experience in the BAe-3101 and extensive recent experience in other aircraft which use RPM control lever procedures that are different from the BAe-3101."

Events:

Sources:
» Aviation Letter 250
» NTSB/AAR-88/06