Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701

On October 14, 2004, Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701, a Bombardier CRJ200 on a repositioning flight from Little Rock to Minneapolis, crashed while attempting an emergency approach to Jefferson City Memorial Airport in Missouri, United States. Both pilots, the only two people on board, were killed. The aircraft was originally scheduled to fly a passenger flight from Little Rock to Minneapolis earlier that day, but a mechanical issue forced the flight to be delayed. Since the aircraft was still needed for Pinnacle Airlines operations out of Minneapolis the next day, the airline elected to ferry the aircraft to Minneapolis. The two pilots on board made the aircraft climb to 41,000 ft (12,000 m), the maximum operating altitude of the CRJ200 but did not ensure a safe airspeed for the high altitude they were flying at. Due to the low energy state of the aircraft, it subsequently stalled and due to interrupted airflow, both engines flamed out. The crew failed to execute the proper dual engine failure checklists and did not glide the aircraft to a suitable airport. The plane crashed in a residential area short of the runway and was destroyed.

The investigation, conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board, found several factors that led to the accident. Investigators found that during the flight the crew had intentionally deviated from standard operating procedures, displayed unprofessional cockpit attitude, and aggressively maneuvered the aircraft. In particular, investigators discovered that Pinnacle Airlines flight crews had expressed curiosity in flying at the CRJ200's service ceiling and pilots who had done so informally called it the "410 club". Data from the flight recorders indicated that the crew did not anticipate the upset and improperly executed the checklist procedures. The crew did not effectively communicate with air traffic control about their emergency situation and did not fully discuss potential landing sites. Investigators also determined that the engines core locked during the accident sequence, which prevented the crew from restarting them, and the available documentation to the crew did not communicate the importance of preventing core lock.