Embraer EMB-135KL N377SK

Summary

On 3 April 2011 at about 13:43 local time, a Embraer EMB-135KL registered N377SK, operated by Chautauqua Airlines Inc, was involved in an incident near Dubuque, Iowa, United States. 47 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

3 April 2011 at 13:43

Classification

Incident

Location

Dubuque, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ)

Coordinates

42.4011, -90.7056

Aircraft

Embraer EMB-135KL

Registration

N377SK

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Chautauqua Airlines Inc

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dubuque → Dubuque

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11IA270

Nobody was injured.

The airport authorities' improper decision to deactivate the jet bridge braking system which created an unsafe condition by the gate agents not being able to stop the bridge from impacting the airplane during a wind gust.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flightcrew was preparing the airplane for departure from the gate. The nose wheel was still chocked, the auxiliary power unit was running, and the engines were not operating. The gate agent had moved the jet bridge about 20 to 25 feet from the airplane, when a strong wind gust pushed the jet bridge back into the airplane, which created about a 20-inch gash in the fuselage below the captain’s window. The airport had deactivated the brake system on the jet bridge during the winter months since the brakes would routinely freeze. The gate agents who were operating the jet bridge attempted to keep it from being blown into the airplane, but with the brake system deactivated, they were unable to do so. The Emergency Stop was inoperable when the brakes were deactivated. When the Emergency Stop button was pushed, the brakes would not engage. Pushing the Emergency Stop button also cut the power to the control panel so moving the joystick had no effect. After the incident occurred, the airport had the brake system activated, and the jet bridge operated normally.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.