Narrative:
American Eagle flight 3378, operated by AVAir, crashed shortly after it departed runway 23R at Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU), North Carolina, USA. The airplane Fairchild Metro III struck water within 100 feet of the shoreline of a reservoir, about 5100 feet west of the midpoint of runway 23R. The airplane was destroyed and all 12 persons on board were killed.
On December 13, 1988, the Safety Board determined the probable cause of the accident as follows: "The failure of the flight crew to maintain a proper flight path because of the first officer's inappropriate instrument scan, the captain's inadequate monitoring of the flight, and the flight crew's response to a perceived fault in the airplane's stall avoidance system (SAS). Contributing to the accident was the lack of company response to documented indications of difficulties in the first officer's piloting, and inadequate Federal Aviation Administration surveillance of AVAir."
Then-Board Members John K . Lauber and Joseph T. Nall provided concurring and dissenting statements in which they proposed that the probable cause should read as follows: "The failure of the flightcrew to maintain a proper flightpath in response to an actual or perceived fault in the airplane's stall avoidance system. Contributing to the accident were ineffective management and supervision of flightcrew training and flight operations, and ineffective FAA surveillance of AVAir."
On January 28, 1993, the Air Line Pilots Association's (ALPA) filed a petition for reconsideration and modification of the findings and probable cause. The NTSB granted the petition in part. The probable cause and was modified to read as follows:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was a failure of the flight crew to maintain a proper flightpath. Contributing to the accident were the ineffective management and supervision of flight crew training and flight operations, and ineffective FAA surveillance of AVAir."
» NTSB/AAR-88/10
» NTSB Response to Petition for Reconsideration
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 19 February 1988 |
| Time: | 21:27 |
| Type: |  Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III |
| Operated by: | AVAir |
| On behalf of: | American Eagle |
| Registration: | N622AV |
| MSN: | AC-622 |
| First flight: | 1985 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4222 |
| Engines: | 2 Garrett TPE331-11U-611G |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 12 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 1,5 km (0.9 mls) W of Raleigh/Durham Airport, NC (RDU) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Raleigh/Durham Airport, NC (RDU/KRDU), United States of America |
| Richmond International Airport (Byrd Field), VA (RIC/KRIC), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | AA3378 |
American Eagle flight 3378, operated by AVAir, crashed shortly after it departed runway 23R at Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU), North Carolina, USA. The airplane Fairchild Metro III struck water within 100 feet of the shoreline of a reservoir, about 5100 feet west of the midpoint of runway 23R. The airplane was destroyed and all 12 persons on board were killed.
Probable Cause:
On December 13, 1988, the Safety Board determined the probable cause of the accident as follows: "The failure of the flight crew to maintain a proper flight path because of the first officer's inappropriate instrument scan, the captain's inadequate monitoring of the flight, and the flight crew's response to a perceived fault in the airplane's stall avoidance system (SAS). Contributing to the accident was the lack of company response to documented indications of difficulties in the first officer's piloting, and inadequate Federal Aviation Administration surveillance of AVAir."
Then-Board Members John K . Lauber and Joseph T. Nall provided concurring and dissenting statements in which they proposed that the probable cause should read as follows: "The failure of the flightcrew to maintain a proper flightpath in response to an actual or perceived fault in the airplane's stall avoidance system. Contributing to the accident were ineffective management and supervision of flightcrew training and flight operations, and ineffective FAA surveillance of AVAir."
On January 28, 1993, the Air Line Pilots Association's (ALPA) filed a petition for reconsideration and modification of the findings and probable cause. The NTSB granted the petition in part. The probable cause and was modified to read as follows:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was a failure of the flight crew to maintain a proper flightpath. Contributing to the accident were the ineffective management and supervision of flight crew training and flight operations, and ineffective FAA surveillance of AVAir."
Accident investigation:
 |
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Sources:
» ICAO Adrep Summary 6/89 (#22)» NTSB/AAR-88/10
» NTSB Response to Petition for Reconsideration
Follow-up / safety actions
NTSB issued 5 Safety Recommendations
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Photos
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 Raleigh/Durham Airport, NC to Richmond International Airport (Byrd Field), VA as the crow flies is 222 km (139 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Raleigh/Durham Airport, NC to Richmond International Airport (Byrd Field), VA as the crow flies is 222 km (139 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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- 684 built
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