British 146-200 N608AW

Summary

On 18 January 1991 at about 18:40 local time, a British 146-200 registered N608AW, operated by Air Wisconsin, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois, United States. 39 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 January 1991 at 18:40

Classification

Incident

Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

O'hare Field (ORD)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

British 146-200

Registration

N608AW

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

Air Wisconsin

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Green Bay

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI91IA073

Nobody was injured.

COMPANY PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES NOT BEING FOLLOWED BY GROUND PERSONNEL. A FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT IS COMPLACENCY BY COMPANY/OPERATOR MANAGEMENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE INCIDENT TRANSPORT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER PARKED TRANSPORT AIRPLANE WHILE TAXIING AWAY FROM A GATE AT THE START OF A REVENUE FLIGHT. BOTH AIRPLANES SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND SHUT IT DOWN. THE PASSENGERS AND CREW DEPLANED USING THE NORMAL CABIN EXITS. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT SIGNALMEN AND WINGWALKERS WERE ROUTINELY GROUND GUIDING AIRCRAFT AT THAT PARKING LOCATION TO A PARKING SPOT THAT WAS DISPLACED TO THE LEFT OF THE PAINTED TAXI GUIDE STRIPES. THIS PRACTICE ALLOWES THE TAIL OF A DEPARTING AIRPLANE TO TRANSCRIBE AN ARC WHICH PASSES THROUGH AN ADJACENT DEDICATED PARKING SPACE AS IT TURNES AWAY FROM THE GATE. WHEN THIS SPACE IS OCCUPIED BY A LONGER AIRPLANE THERE IS INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE TO ALLOW THE TAIL SURFACES OF THE TWO AIRCRAFT TO CLEAR EACH OTHER. ACCORDING TO RAMP PERSONNEL AN EMERGENCY STOP HAND SIGNAL WAS ISSUED BY THE WINGWALKER BUT WAS NOT RECOGNIZED IN TIME TO STOP THE INCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.