Swearingen SA227 Metro III crash, Sep 29, 2002, Hawthorne
Swearingen SA227 Metro III accident on September 29, 2002 near Hawthorne, California, United States with no fatalities. Cause: The pilot-in-command's...
- Date: September 29, 2002
- Aircraft: Swearingen SA227 Metro III
- Location: Hawthorne, California, United States
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain directional control during a rejected takeoff, caused by the crew not ensuring both propellers were out of the start locks. Crew procedure failures and poor coordination during the abort were contributing factors.
A Swearingen Metro III on a charter to the Grand Canyon rejected its takeoff at Hawthorne after the left propeller was still in its start lock. The aircraft veered off the runway, crossed a taxiway and struck a hangar. The crew had skipped checklist and monitoring steps, and no survivors were lost.