What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) An American eagle aircraft SF340B, N241AE, parked on the ramp at Boston was struck by a baggage belt loader at 1930 EDT, 9/30/00. The belt loader went under the aircraft causing a huge slice in the belly of the aircraft. Massport Boston operations accident report stated: upon my arrival (massport operations alan wade) I found an American eagle Saab 340B, flight 4998 inbound from yul (montreal Canada) with its belly sliced open. The aircraft had just arrived at the American eagle ramp area adjacent to terminal a. the slice was eight feet long around the circumference of the belly area just below the rear baggage door. The slice was caused by a metal "dorsal fin" used to protect the belt loaders gearshift and throttle control. The "dorsal fin" is mounted in front of the controls to prevent luggage or off loaded cargo from striking the shift lever or throttle controls. The "dorsal fin" is located just forward and to the right of the operator. American eagle employee, rodrigo madrigal (mpa I.d. #116113), claimed the belt loader jumped into gear (while he was in the driver's seat) causing the belt loader to drive under the tail of the aircraft knocking Mr. Madrigal to the ground. Mr. Madrigal was checked by the emts and transported to Boston city hospital for evaluation and drug testing (no reported injuries). The belt loader continued out of control and stopped approximately 20 feet out from under the aircraft hitting a lavatory cart (#001) and a gpu electrical unit (#051). Minor damage came to both the gpu and the lavatory cart. The American eagle aircraft was grounded and all equipment involved held until the state police investigating team arrived in the morning. Damage to the aircraft is considered "substantial" and was reported as an accident to the NTSB (NYC00KA269). The aircraft had 23 passengers and three crewmembers on board at the time of the accident. There were no reported injuries to any of the passengers or crew. The aircraft will be taken to the American hangar in Boston for repairs (cmo notified, gene parris ppm-Saab). The state police inspected the belt loader, and no defects were found with the belt loader or any of the controls.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AN AMERICAN EAGLE AIRCRAFT SF340B, N241AE, PARKED ON THE RAMP AT BOSTON WAS STRUCK BY A BAGGAGE BELT LOADER AT 1930 EDT, 9/30/00. THE BELT LOADER WENT UNDER THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING A HUGE SLICE IN THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. MASSPORT BOSTON OPERATIONS ACCIDENT REPORT STATED: UPON MY ARRIVAL (MASSPORT OPERATIONS ALAN WADE) I FOUND AN AMERICAN EAGLE SAAB 340B, FLIGHT 4998 INBOUND FROM YUL (MONTREAL CANADA) WITH ITS BELLY SLICED OPEN. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST ARRIVED AT THE AMERICAN EAGLE RAMP AREA ADJACENT TO TERMINAL A. THE SLICE WAS EIGHT FEET LONG AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE BELLY AREA JUST BELOW THE REAR BAGGAGE DOOR. THE SLICE WAS CAUSED BY A METAL "DORSAL FIN" USED TO PROTECT THE BELT LOADERS GEARSHIFT AND THROTTLE CONTROL. THE "DORSAL FIN" IS MOUNTED IN FRONT OF THE CONTROLS TO PREVENT LUGGAGE OR OFF LOADED CARGO FROM STRIKING THE SHIFT LEVER OR THROTTLE CONTROLS. THE "DORSAL FIN" IS LOCATED JUST FORWARD AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE OPERATOR. AMERICAN EAGLE EMPLOYEE, RODRIGO MADRIGAL (MPA I.D. #116113), CLAIMED THE BELT LOADER JUMPED INTO GEAR (WHILE HE WAS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT) CAUSING THE BELT LOADER TO DRIVE UNDER THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT KNOCKING MR. MADRIGAL TO THE GROUND. MR. MADRIGAL WAS CHECKED BY THE EMTS AND TRANSPORTED TO BOSTON CITY HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION AND DRUG TESTING (NO REPORTED INJURIES). THE BELT LOADER CONTINUED OUT OF CONTROL AND STOPPED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET OUT FROM UNDER THE AIRCRAFT HITTING A LAVATORY CART (#001) AND A GPU ELECTRICAL UNIT (#051). MINOR DAMAGE CAME TO BOTH THE GPU AND THE LAVATORY CART. THE AMERICAN EAGLE AIRCRAFT WAS GROUNDED AND ALL EQUIPMENT INVOLVED HELD UNTIL THE STATE POLICE INVESTIGATING TEAM ARRIVED IN THE MORNING. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS CONSIDERED "SUBSTANTIAL" AND WAS REPORTED AS AN ACCIDENT TO THE NTSB (NYC00KA269). THE AIRCRAFT HAD 23 PASSENGERS AND THREE CREWMEMBERS ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES TO ANY OF THE PASSENGERS OR CREW. THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE TAKEN TO THE AMERICAN HANGAR IN BOSTON FOR REPAIRS (CMO NOTIFIED, GENE PARRIS PPM-SAAB). THE STATE POLICE INSPECTED THE BELT LOADER, AND NO DEFECTS WERE FOUND WITH THE BELT LOADER OR ANY OF THE CONTROLS.