NTSB Factual Report

On Friday, January 7, 1994, at 2321 eastern standard time, a Jetstream J4101, N304UE, operated by Atlantic Coast Airlines of Sterling, Virginia, and doing business as United Express 6291, a scheduled commuter flight from Dulles International Airport to Columbus Ohio,crashed 1.2 nautical miles east of runway 28L at Port Columbus International Airport, Columbus, Ohio. The aircraft had been cleared for an ILS approach to runway 28L and had been in contact with the tower when it crashed into a concrete block manufacturing structure about 1.2 miles from the airport. The pilot, co-pilot, flight attendant and two passengers were fatally injured. Two of the other three passengers received minor injuries while the third was not injured. The airplane was destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and the airplane was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. See Aircraft Accident Report, Atlantic Coast Airlines dba United Express flight 6291, Jetstream 4100, N304UE, Columbus, Ohio, January 7, 1994.

NTSB Probable Cause

(1) An aerodynamic stall that occurred when the flightcrew allowed the airspeed to decay to stall speed following a very poorly planned and executed approach characterized by an absence of procedural discipline; (2) Improper pilot response to the stall warning, including failure to advance the power levers to maximum, and inappropriately raising the flaps; (3) Flightcrew inexperience in 'glass cockpit' automatic aircraft, aircraft type, and in seat position, a situation exacerbated by a side letter of agreement between the company and its pilots; (4) The company's failure to provide adequate crew resource management training, and the FAA's failure to require such training; (5) The company's failure to provide adequate stabilized approach criteria, and the FAA's failure to require such criteria; and (6) The unavailability of suitable training simulators that precluded fully effective flightcrew training. Note: Items 1, 2, and 3 were approved by a Board vote of 4-0. Item 5 was adopted 3-1, with the dissenting Member believing the item was a contributory cause. The Board was divided 2-2 on items 4 and 6, two Members believing them causal and two Members, contributory. (NTSB Report AAR-94/07)