# Accident 20120116000849A: Boeing DHC-8-102, Huntington, WV, January 16, 2012 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 16, 2012, 07:04 local time - Place: Huntington, WV - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Taxi - Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121) - Operator: HNAA - Location: 38.3669° N, 82.5586° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3669&lon=-82.5586&mi=10 - Aircraft: N839EX, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N839EX) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Boeing DHC-8-102 (registry code 1386002, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-dhc-8-102) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 (registry code 52114, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw120) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING DHC-8-102 - Reported engine: P&W CANADA PW120 - People aboard: 36 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 20,800 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12LA147](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA147) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120116000849A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. A PIEDMONT FLIGHT 4117, IN AIRCRAFT N839EX, STRUCK A DEICING TRUCK BOOM WITH THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, ELEVATOR AND ELEVATOR TRIM TAB, WHILE TAXIING ON THE HTS RAMP. THE FLIGHT WAS AN ORIGINATOR AND THE FLIGHT CREW PREFLIGHT IDENTIFIED FROST ON THE AIRCRAFT THAT REQUIRED DEICING. THERE WAS NO ACTIVE PRECIPITATION AT THE TIME.THE HTS STATION HAD RECENTLY CHANGED FROM DEICING ON THE GATE TO OFF-GATE DEICING, BUT DID NOT HAVE A DESIGNATED OR SPECIFIC LOCATION IDENTIFIED. BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE GATE, THE CAPTAIN AND THE RAMP AGENT AGREED THAT THE PILOT WOULD TAXI OUT WITH ONE ENGINE, AND LEAVE THE ENGINE IN FEATHER WHILE THE VENDOR (HUNTINGTON JET CENTER) CONDUCTED THE DEICING. THE RAMP AGENT THEN WALKED TO THE DEICE VEHICLE AND CONVEYED THE AGREEMENT, TO WHICH THE VENDOR PERSONNEL AGREED, AND THE RAMP AGENT THEN WENT BACK TO THE AIRCRAFT TO CONFIRM FOR THE CAPTAIN THAT HIS PLAN WAS OK WITH THE VENDOR. THEY ALSO SPOKE ABOUT WHERE TO GO ON THE RAMP FOR DEICING, BUT THERE THE STATEMENTS VARY SOMEWHAT. THE RAMP AGENT SAID HE TOLD THE CAPTAIN TO TAXI OUT IN FRONT OF GATE 2 (AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED AT GATE 3), AND THE CAPTAIN SAID HE WAS TOLD TO JUST TAXI OUT THERE IN A NON-SPECIFIC MANNER.AFTER THE AIRCRAFT STARTED #1 ENGINE, ONE AGENT PULLED THE CHOCKS AND THEN WENT INSIDE TO STATION OPERATIONS TO MAN THE RADIO WHILE THE SECOND AGENT MARSHALED THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE GATE 1 PARKING AREA. AN AGENT DOING THE MARSHALLING THEN STOOD BY THE WING TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE, AND GAVE A THUMBS UP TO THE FLIGHT CREW TO SIGNAL THAT THEY WERE CLEAR OF THE EQUIPMENT.AFTER THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED APPROXIMATELY 50 – 70 FEET, AND WERE BASICALLY POSITIONED IN FRONT OF GATE 2, THE CAPTAIN STOPPED AND ASKED THE FIRST OFFICER (FO) TO CALL STATION OPERATIONS AND CLARIFY WHERE THEY WERE TO GO FOR THE DEICING. THE FO DID SO AND SPOKE WITH THE 1ST RAMP AGENT WHO WAS WORKING THE RADIO IN A LOCATION IN WHICH HE COULD NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT REALIZE THE AIRCRAFT HAD LEFT THE GATE. THE AGENT TOLD THE CREW TO JUST TAXI 50' OR SO AND STOP. WITHOUT THE FLIGHT CREW'S KNOWLEDGE, THE VENDOR DEICING TEAM, HAVING MISTAKEN THE 2ND AGENT'S THUMBS UP SIGNAL AS THE SIGNAL THAT DEICING COULD BEGIN, MOVED INTO A POSITION BEHIND THE #1 WING AND IN FRONT OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL TAIL WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FIRST STOPPED, AND STARTED SPRAYING THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. HAVING RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM STATION OPERATIONS TO MOVE 50', THE FLIGHT CREW INITIATED TAXI AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY FELT A BUMP, THEN STOPPED. SEEING THE AIRCRAFT START TO MOVE, THE BUCKET OPERATOR YELLED TO THE DRIVER TO BACK UP AND TRIED TO LOWER THE BOOM, BUT THE AIRCRAFT TAIL STRUCK AND RODE OVER THE PEAK OF THE BOOM ARM. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA12LA147](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA147), Jan 16, 2012: Boeing DHC-8-102 (N839EX), Huntington, WV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadequate communication among ground crew personnel, which resulted in the airplane’s collision with a deice truck. ## Other reports on N839EX (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20071203829369I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071203829369I), Dec 3, 2007: Dhav DHC8102 (N839EX), Pittsburgh, PA, No damage. (-23) After take-off from 28C, the left main landing gear door open light remained illuminated after gear retraction. The landing gear was then extended to… - [Incident 20020913037099I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020913037099I), Sep 13, 2002: Dhav DHC8102 (N839EX), Binghamton, NY. (-23) On September 13, a DHC-8-102, N839EX, a loud vibration was discovered while in level cruise at 12,000 ft. the crew described a grinding sound.… - [Incident 20000111001089I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000111001089I), Jan 11, 2000: Dhav DHC8102 (N839EX), Binghamton, NY. (-23) On 1/11/00 pcaa flight 3863, DH-8, N839EX, pilot shut down the #1 engine due to a low oil pressure indication. The low oil pressure light did not… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.