What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The airplane taxied off the hard surface into the soft grass, coming to rest about 50 feet beyond the edge of the hard surface taxiway. The captain stated that after turning south on nk, he taxied the airplane towards the iab terminal, and saw what appeared to be a hard surface ramp to the left and right of the airplane and he proceeded to make a left turn believing that he was now taxiing on the iab ramp. The captain reported that the airport diagram on the jeppesen charts showed the intersection of nk and the iab ramp to be a 't' or 90 degree turn, but in reality, the intersection is constructed at a 45 degree angle to the left of taxiway nk which joins the iab ramp. The pilot further stated that no lights were available to outline the edge of the ramp area. He added that he continued to taxi in an east direction, believing that he was on the iab ramp. According to the airport's operations personnel, the taxiway is properly marked with a solid center line and the area is bordered by a double yellow line delineating the edge of the taxiway. Additionally, at the time of the accident, recessed taxiway lights were in place to further delineate the edge of the taxiway. (-23) on January 7, 1997 at 1947 central standard time, an aerospatiale ATR-42-320,n 14829, was substantially damaged while taxiing at the Houston Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas. Three passengers sustained minor injuries and there were not injuries to the 3 crewmembers and the remaining 109 passengers. The airplane, owned and operated by Continental express airlines as jetlink flight 3777, was on a scheduled flight from shreveport, Louisiana ot the Houston Intercontinental Airport. Night visual meteorological conditons prevailed for the scheduled title 14 CFR 121 flight for which an instrument flight plan was filed. The airplane departed from shreveport, Louisiana at approximately 1900. According to the operator, the airplane landed on runway 08 and was cleared to their gate in terminal "c" via taxiways ng and nk. While taxiing on taxiway nk, near the international terminal building, the airplane taxied off the hard surface into the grass and the nose landing gear collapsed. The passengers deplaned the aircraft and were bussed to the terminal building. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the pressure bulkhead.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE AIRPLANE TAXIED OFF THE HARD SURFACE INTO THE SOFT GRASS, COMING TO REST ABOUT 50 FEET BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE HARD SURFACE TAXIWAY. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT AFTER TURNING SOUTH ON NK, HE TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TOWARDS THE IAB TERMINAL, AND SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A HARD SURFACE RAMP TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AND HE PROCEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN BELIEVING THAT HE WAS NOW TAXIING ON THE IAB RAMP. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT THE AIRPORT DIAGRAM ON THE JEPPESEN CHARTS SHOWED THE INTERSECTION OF NK AND THE IAB RAMP TO BE A 'T' OR 90 DEGREE TURN, BUT IN REALITY, THE INTERSECTION IS CONSTRUCTED AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE LEFT OF TAXIWAY NK WHICH JOINS THE IAB RAMP. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT NO LIGHTS WERE AVAILABLE TO OUTLINE THE EDGE OF THE RAMP AREA. HE ADDED THAT HE CONTINUED TO TAXI IN AN EAST DIRECTION, BELIEVING THAT HE WAS ON THE IAB RAMP. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT'S OPERATIONS PERSONNEL, THE TAXIWAY IS PROPERLY MARKED WITH A SOLID CENTER LINE AND THE AREA IS BORDERED BY A DOUBLE YELLOW LINE DELINEATING THE EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY. ADDITIONALLY, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, RECESSED TAXIWAY LIGHTS WERE IN PLACE TO FURTHER DELINEATE THE EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY. (-23) ON JANUARY 7, 1997 AT 1947 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE ATR-42-320,N 14829, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE TAXIING AT THE HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THERE WERE NOT INJURIES TO THE 3 CREWMEMBERS AND THE REMAINING 109 PASSENGERS. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY CONTINENTAL EXPRESS AIRLINES AS JETLINK FLIGHT 3777, WAS ON A SCHEDULED FLIGHT FROM SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA OT THE HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITONS PREVAILED FOR THE SCHEDULED TITLE 14 CFR 121 FLIGHT FOR WHICH AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA AT APPROXIMATELY 1900. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON RUNWAY 08 AND WAS CLEARED TO THEIR GATE IN TERMINAL "C" VIA TAXIWAYS NG AND NK. WHILE TAXIING ON TAXIWAY NK, NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL BUILDING, THE AIRPLANE TAXIED OFF THE HARD SURFACE INTO THE GRASS AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PASSENGERS DEPLANED THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE BUSSED TO THE TERMINAL BUILDING. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE PRESSURE BULKHEAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N14829 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.