American Eagle Flight 3378 - February 19, 1988
Last updated: March 13, 2018
Contents
- Introduction
- Maps
- Narrative Long
- Narrative Short
- Victims
- Photographs
- Memorial
- Sources
Introduction
This page presents information about the
emergency response on February 19, 1988, to the crash of
American Eagle Flight 3378 at Raleigh-Durham International
Airport in North Carolina.
Read NTSB accident investigation report (PDF,
7.7MB)
Maps
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Crash site with 1999
aerial photo |
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Crash site with 2017
aerial photo |
See also
interactive Google Map.Narrative Long
Read
detailed narrative (PDF,
12 pages).
Narrative Short
On February 19, 1988, American Eagle Flight 3378 crashed at Raleigh-Durham
International Airport. The Fairchild Metro III SA227-AC was carrying
ten passengers and two crew. It was departing to Richmond. After taking off to the south and banking
to the west, a normal maneuver, it reached an altitude of several
hundred feet. The plane subsequently dropped and crashed about 5,100
feet west of the midpoint of runway 23R, striking the surface of
Brier Creek Reservoir about 100 yards from shore, and then crashing
on the west side of the reservoir, located just off airport property
in the corporate limits of Cary, along Nelson Road.
The plane
apparently skimmed the surface of the lake, struck the bank, and
then crashed into tall pine trees. Witnesses reported hearing an
explosion and seeing a fireball. The plane crashed at 9:27 p.m. The
airport fire department was notified at 9:31 p.m. and arrived at
9:39 p.m. They found debris spread in an area 150 yards long and 50
yards wide. Most of the aircraft completely disintegrated. Small
fires were also found at the scene, and promptly extinguished by
personnel. There were no survivors. Durham, Cary, and Morrisville
fire departments were dispatched, along with EMS and rescue squads.
Eight off-duty members of the airport fire department were also
called back,
to assist with the crash and overall staffing. Law enforcement
agencies included RDU, Wake County Sherriff’s Office, and Raleigh
Police Department. Army National Guard members were also called to
the scene, and helped enforce the scene perimeter from visiting
onlookers. Airport operations were temporarily halted, and runway
23R was reopened at 10:15 p.m. By the end of the evening, a
temporary morgue was established at the nearby National Guard
Armory, and the scene was sealed from visitors until investigators
arrived in the next day. On Saturday, February 20, a three-member
team from the office of the State Chief Medical Examiner arrived to
recover and identify body remains. They were assisted by a
six-person team from the State Bureau of Investigation. Also on
Saturday, thirty investigators from four arrived including ten from
the NTSB Safety Board. The remaining twenty were from the FAA, AvAir,
and the Airline Pilots Association. Airport firefighters, including
off-duty personnel recalled to duty, assisted investigators and
medical examiners that day.
On Sunday, February 21, Six Forks
Rescue Squad brought boats to the scene, and began dragging
operations to recovery debris from the reservoir. The following day,
Wake County Parks & Recreation begin draining the lake. Salvage
operations were suspended on Tuesday, as draining continued. By
Thursday, February 25, most of the investigation team had departed.
They expected nine to twelve months to determine probably cause. The
following day, the head of the investigation team and a half-dozen
remaining members left.
Draining of the reservoir was completed
in early march. The full NTSB report was issued in December.
Probable cause was failure of flight crew to maintain proper flight
path because of first officer’s inappropriate instrument scan, the
captain’s inadequate monitoring of flight, and the flight crew’s
response to perceived fault in airplane’s stall avoidance system.
Cause of death for all determined as massive and traumatic injuries
sustained during impact.
Victims
Passengers:
- Richard W. Ross, 44, Richmond
- Christopher Bage Wells, 13, Garner
- Terry H. Bower, 41, Richmond
- Marcia B. Ferris, 33, Chesterfield County, VA
- Michael E. Grindle, 25, Richmond
- John V. Oliver, 54, Richmond
- Henry A. Lewis, US Army stationed at Fort Lee, VA
- Glenn Bogitsh, 33, Nashville
- Libby Bogitsh, 27, Nashville
- Roger Wilcox, 43, Bradenton, FL.
Crew:
- Captain Walter R. Cole, 38, Raleigh
- First Office Kathy P. Digan, 28, Raleigh.
Photographs
Images used
with permission of The News & Observer - Raleigh, N.C.
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Roadblock on Nelson Road at Aviation Parkway, one mile
from plane crash. February 19, 1998. Robert Willet
photo. |
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Airport officials make statement about plane crash,
February 19, 1998. Center is Theresa Damino. Chris
Seward, photo. |
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Emergency vehicles on Nelson Road [?], February 20,
1998. Gary Allen photo. |
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February 20, 1993. Scott Sharpe photo. |
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NTSB press conference, February 20, 1998. Dorton photo. |
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View of reservoir and crash site, February 20, 1988.
Scott Sharpe photo. |
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Camera operators on the opposite bank of the reservoir,
February 20, 1988.
Gary Allen photo. |
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Crash site, February 20, 1988. Gary Allen photo. |
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Refrigerated truck for victim remains, February 20,
1988. Gary Allen photo. |
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Investigators at crash site, February 21, 1988. Gary Allen photo. |
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Workers at crash site, February 21, 1988. Gary Allen
photo. |
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Spectators near crash site, February 21, 1988. Robert
Willett photo. |
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Security guard Matthew M. Burkhardt, who witnessed the
nearby crash, February 21, 1988. Robert Willet photo. |
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Searching the reservoir near the crash site using Six
Forks Rescue Squad boats, February 21, 1988. Gary Allen
photo. |
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Searching the reservoir near the crash site using Six
Forks Rescue Squad boats, February 21, 1988. Gary Allen
photo. |
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Airport police providing security near crash site,
February 21, 1988. Robert Willett photo. |
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Airport crash truck near crash site, February 21, 1988.
Robert Willett photo. |
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Airport emergency vehicle near crash site, February 21,
1988. Robert Willett photo. |
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NTSB officials at crash site. February 23, 1988. Harry
Lynch photo. |
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Crash site, February 26, 1988. Robert Willett photo. |
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RDU police officers T. E. Butler (left) and W. E.
Beatty, February 26, 1988. Robert Willett photo. |
Memorial
See this page of information.
Sources
They include:
- Herald-Sun, various articles. See below.
- National Transportation Safety Board Aircraft Accident
Report, February 19, 1988.
- News & Observer, various articles. See below.
- Mike Legeros fire department historical research.
- Morning Herald, various articles. See below.
- Raleigh Times, various articles. See below.
- USA Today, see below.
- WCEMS News, January 1995.
- Wikipedia - Flagship Airlines Flight 3379, via
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagship_Airlines_Flight_3379
- WTVD newscast, December 13, 1994, via
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjmDNpnvnVA
Sources - Newspapers
Morning Herald (Durham):
- February 20, 1998 - "12 Feared Dead in RDU Crash"
- February 21, 1998 - "Review of Flight 3378 Begins"
- February 21, 1998 - "Crash Victims American Eagle Flight
3378"
- February 22, 1998 - "1st Office May Have been Flying Plane
Before Crash"
- February 23, 1998 - "Brier Creek Drained For Crash Probe"
- February 23, 1998 - "Two Agencies Play Different Roles In
Investigating Airplane Crashes"
- February 24, 1998 - "Safety Board Ends Probe At Site of
Fatal Plane Crash"
Herald-Sun (Durham):
- February 20, 1998 - "Examiners prober RDU crash"
News and Observer (Raleigh):
- February 20, 1988 - "12 die in crash at RDU"
- February 20, 1988 - "AVAir plagued by financial uncertainty
before crash"
- February 20, 1988 - "Other fatal crashes at RDU since 1965"
- February 21, 1988 - "Investigators seek clues to RDU crash"
- February 21, 1988 - "Friends, relatives mourn flight
victims"
- February 21, 1998 - "Investigators sift through wreckage"
- February 21, 1998 - "Security guard left 'sick' by crash"
- February 21, 1998 - "At least 7 people killed in crashes
across U.S."
- February 21, 1998 - "Relatives, friends waiting in Richmond
could only grieve"
- February 22, 1998 - "Co-pilot thought to have flown plane"
- February 22, 1998 - "Commuter plane's pilot died 'doing what
he loved best'"
- February 22, 1998 - 'Black boxes' could have provided clues
in crash, officials say
- February 23, 1998 - "RDU crash second in weeks involving
Fairchild plane"
- February 23, 1998 - "Co-pilots often at helm of aircraft,
pilot says"
- February 23, 1998 - "'Precious kid' from Garner buried by
his family, friends"
- February 23, 1998 - "Plane's record shows many problems"
- February 24, 1998 - "American Airlines plans to add 'black
boxes' to commuter planes"
- February 24, 1998 - "Federal experts call RDU crash hard to
explain"
- February 25, 1998 - "Fatal crash at RDU stymies
investigators"
- February 25, 1998 - "Chief crash investigator has an
unshakable love of flying"
- February 26, 1998 - "Crashed plane had history of problems"
- February 26, 1998 - "Crash-site duties completed for most of
investigating team"
- February 27, 1998 - "Work crew follows NTSB team in clearing
RDU crash debris"
Raleigh Times:
- February 22, 1998 - "Probers believe co-pilot at controls"
- February 22, 1998 - "Downed plane's pilot died 'doing what
he loved best'"
- February 22, 1998 - "Official: Recorders would have given
clues"
- February 23, 1998 - "No link discovered between 2 crashes"
- February 23, 1998 - "Co-pilot at helm is not unusual, other
pilots say"
- February 23, 1998 - "Family, friends say farewell to
'precious kid,' crash victim"
- February 23, 1998 - "Medical examiner: Nothing could have
helped victims"
- February 23, 1998 - "Crashed plane had record of problems"
- February 23, 1998 - "Experts say AVAir problems won't affect
money claims"
- February 24, 1998 - "Eagle planes may get 'black boxes'"
- February 24, 1998 - "Federal experts say RDU crash hard to
explain"
- February 25, 1998 - "RDU crash still stymies investigators"
- February 26, 1998 - "Crashed plan had history of problems"
- February 26, 1998 - "Crash-site duties completed for most of
investigating team"
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