What happened
On May 21, 2000, an on-demand charter flight operated by Executive Airlines crashed approximately 11 miles south of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. The aircraft, a British Aerospace Jetstream 3101 with registration N16EJ, was performing an instrument flight rules (IFR) mission from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Pennsylvania. During the approach to runway 4, the flight crew initially executed a missed approach and subsequently requested a second ILS approach.
While maneuvering for the second approach, the pilot declared an emergency, reporting an engine failure. Shortly thereafter, the crew notified air traffic controllers that they had lost power to both engines. As the aircraft descended through 3,000 feet, the pilot reported being level at 2,000 feet, noting they were flying over trees. The final radio transmission from the crew indicated that they were losing both engines. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground and was destroyed by the impact and a subsequent fire. The accident resulted in 19 fatalities, including 17 passengers and two crewmembers.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating under 14 CFR Part 135 as a charter flight for a casino.
- The flight crew experienced a total loss of both engines during the instrument approach phase.
- The accident occurred during daylight hours under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
- The aircraft was flying at an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet at the time of the final communications.