Bombardier CL-600-2B19 N918SW

Summary

On 17 December 2007 at about 00:55 local time, a Bombardier CL-600-2B19 registered N918SW, operated by Skywest Airlines Inc, was involved in an accident near Chicago, Illinois, United States. 33 people were on board. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 December 2007 at 00:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD)

Coordinates

41.9786, -87.9047

Aircraft

Bombardier CL-600-2B19

Registration

N918SW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Skywest Airlines Inc

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Madison → Chicago

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI08LA051

Injuries not recorded.

The tug driver's failure to yield the right-of-way to the airplane prior to crossing the active taxiway as required by airport procedures, and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance with the airplane. A contributing factor was the presence of the tug on the taxiway at the time the airplane passed the service road intersection. Additional factors were the wet pavement and the night lighting conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The captain reported that the flight had landed and was taxiing to the gate when the accident occurred. He stated that as they passed an airport service road - taxiway intersection, the airplane hit something. The captain brought the airplane to a stop, but at the time the flight crew could not see what they hit. He continued, turning left onto the next intersecting taxiway. At that time he saw the overturned tug along the south edge of the taxiway at the service road intersection. He taxied to the assigned gate and deplaned the passengers without further incident. Witnesses in a van behind the tug reported that the tug did not stop short of the taxiway and continued to move onto the taxiway as the airplane approached. The right wing of the airplane subsequently struck the tug and flipped it over. The tug driver was hospitalized for injuries received during the accident. He had no recollection of the events surrounding the accident. Witnesses recalled that the taxiway was wet at the service road intersection, but that it was not snowing at that time. The surface visibility about the time of the accident was 10 miles with no precipitation or restrictions to visibility. The airport Ground Motor Vehicle Operation Regulations Manual stated that, "All ground vehicle operators must yield the right-of-way to an aircraft in motion."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.