ASN Aircraft accident Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-200LR N470ZW Providence-Theodore Francis Greene State Airport, RI (PVD)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 16 December 2007
Time:16:48
Type:Silhouette image of generic CRJ2 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-200LR
Operated by:Air Wisconsin
On behalf of:US Airways Express
Registration: N470ZW
MSN: 7927
First flight: 2004
Total airframe hrs:8929
Engines: 2 General Electric CF34-3B1
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 31
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 34
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Repaired
Location:Providence-Theodore Francis Greene State Airport, RI (PVD) (   United States of America)
Phase: Landing (LDG)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL/KPHL), United States of America
Destination airport:Providence-Theodore Francis Greene State Airport, RI (PVD/KPVD), United States of America
Flightnumber: 758A
Narrative:
Air Wisconsin flight 3758 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight which departed Philadelphia (PHL) at about 16:00. The First Officer, who had recently completed his Initial Operating Experience (IOE) in the CRJ-200, was the Pilot Flying (PF). This flight was the second time he had flown from Philadelphia to Providence-Theodore Francis Greene State Airport, RI (PVD/KPVD), and the captain was aware that he was new to the airline.
The flight to the Providence area was reported as routine, with IFR weather enroute. Winds aloft in the vicinity of the initial descent were reported as from 220 degrees at 100 knots, resulting in a large tailwind component. Both crewmembers stated they felt rushed during the descent. The flight was cleared for and executed an ILS runway 5 approach. The airplane was initially established and stabilized on the localizer and glideslope. Approximately 2 miles from the runway threshold, at an altitude of 700 feet, the FO disconnected the autopilot and flight director (FD) and announced that he had disengaged the autopilot. In an interview he stated that he wanted to get the feel of the airplane, and "declutter" the display. At the time, Air Wisconsin procedures allowed hand flying raw data instrument approaches.
About 30 seconds later, the airplane drifted to the left of the approach course, and continued to descend, although above the glidepath. The airplane broke out of the overcast at 300’ and the crew saw the approach lights at the 2 o’clock position. The captain offered to take over the airplane and the FO concurred. The captain made a statement which the FO incorrectly heard as a command to reduce power to idle, and he did so, without the Captain’s knowledge. The captain maneuvered the airplane in a series of descending banks, reaching a maximum bank angle of 22 degrees at a height of less than 100 feet above the runway. A descent rate of up to 2000 feet per minute developed. During the landing maneuver, pitch attitude decreased to 7 degrees nose down, then flared to 4 degrees nose up within five seconds just prior to touchdown. The captain increased power to about 73% N1 during the flare maneuver. Airspeed was approximately 132 knots at touchdown. Due to the flare rotation and sink rate, the airplane exceed the stall angle of attack, and the stall protection system (stick shaker and pusher) briefly activated. The airplane touched down in about a nine degree left bank, heading about 049 degrees with a sink rate of approximately 18 feet per second.
The touchdown point was approximately 1000 to 1200 feet from the threshold of runway 5. The left main gear collapsed and the airplane exited the left side of the runway and slid through a snow-covered grassy area. The airplane came to a stop on a magnetic heading of approximately 320 degrees at about 3700 feet from the threshold. The 3 crew members and 31 passengers were not injured, and exited the airplane via the normal airstair door.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The captain’s attempt to salvage the landing from an instrument approach which exceeded stabilized approach criteria, resulting in a high sink rate, likely stall, and hard landing which exceeded the structural limitations of the airplane.

Contributing to the accident was the first officer’s poor execution of the instrument approach, and the lack of effective intra-cockpit communication between the crew. Additional contributing factors to the accident are the lack of effective oversight by AWAC and the FAA to ensure adequate training and an adequate experience level of first officers for line operations."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year
Accident number: DCA08FA018
Download report: Summary report

Classification:
Landing after unstabilized approach
Heavy landing
Runway mishap

Sources:
» SKYbrary 
» NTSB


Photos

photo of Canadair-CRJ-200ER-N470ZW
accident date: 16-12-2007
type: Canadair CRJ-200ER
registration: N470ZW
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Philadelphia International Airport, PA to Providence-Theodore Francis Greene State Airport, RI as the crow flies is 380 km (237 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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