Factual Report: Overweight passengers may be factor in Beech 1900 accident

Beech 1900D, Charlotte, N.C., Jan.

January 4, 2008

Beech 1900D, Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 8, 2003–At 8:09 a.m. EST the Air Midwest Beech 1900 (N233YV), flight 5481 (d.b.a. US Airways Express), crashed shortly after takeoff from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT), N.C., killing both crewmembers and all 19 passengers. The aircraft, which was destined for Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP), S.C., was destroyed on impact and in the post-crash fire.

The crew radioed a brief distress call immediately before the aircraft apparently stalled, plunged to the ground and hit the corner of a maintenance hangar on the airport. Immediately after the crash the NTSB began to focus on questions regarding maintenance on the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. Questions were also raised regarding a computed pre-takeoff weight that was only 100 pounds below the aircraft’s mtow. Particularly called into question is the possibility that the aircraft may have been loaded outside of its approved center of gravity envelope based on the overly optimistic FAA-approved average passenger weights.

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