What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 1, 2025, the accident aircraft, a CL-600-2B19, departed kalamazoo battle creek international airport (azo) and arrived at Chicago o’hare international airport (ord) on privacy data omitted at 1814 local time. While taxiing to the terminal, the accident aircraft and an electric bag tractor collided. As a result, the bag tractor driver was seriously injured and there was substantial damage to both the aircraft and bag tractor. There were 2 flight crew members, 1 cabin crew member, and 10 passengers onboard. No crew or passenger injuries were reported. The driver of the electric bag tractor was transported a local hospital with injuries to the head, spine, and legs.
At approximately 18:49 CT, the accident aircraft was taxiing southbound on taxiway (twy) a (alpha). At the same time, the electric bag tractor, with no baggage carts attached, was traveling westbound from terminal 5 towards terminal 3 on an access road between twy A16 and A15.
The bag tractor (on access road) yielded right of way to an aircraft taxiing north on twy (b), crossed twy (b), entered the island between twy (a) and twy (b), then entered twy (a) while the accident aircraft was taxing south on twy (a) (right to left from bag tractor driver’s perspective. The aircraft’s left wing struck the right side of the bag tractor’s cabin. The bag tractor was turned onto its left side with the driver pinned inside. Emergency services removed the driver from the overturned bag tractor and transported the driver to the hospital. The accident aircraft sustained damage to the left wing’s leading edge, spar, and related underlining parts.
The signage and markings on the access road were present and legible after sunset. Service road and taxiway lighting was illuminated and operational. The bag tractor’s headlights were illuminated at the time of the accident. The accident aircraft’s (left and right) wings and navigational lights and beacon were illuminated at the time of the accident. This investigation was unable to determine if the accident aircraft’s nose landing lights were on at the time of the accident.
The pilot-in -command (PIC) stated they saw the bag tractor’s headlights on the access road prior to crossing the intersection but thought the bag tractor was slowing to yield right of way. The PIC became aware of the bag tractor entering twy (a) from the left with their peripheral vision immediately prior to feeling the impact of the collision. The bag tractor driver stated their personal electronic device was stored in a pocket at the time of the accident and did not have a company radio in the bag tractor. The driver stated they did not see the accident aircraft until just prior to impact. Video surveillance shows the bag tractor’s lights illuminate as it crosses onto twy (a) just prior to the collision.
This report will be amended pending receipt of additional evidence.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 1, 2025, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, A CL-600-2B19, DEPARTED KALAMAZOO BATTLE CREEK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (AZO) AND ARRIVED AT CHICAGO O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ORD) ON ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT 1814 LOCAL TIME. WHILE TAXIING TO THE TERMINAL, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AND AN ELECTRIC BAG TRACTOR COLLIDED. AS A RESULT, THE BAG TRACTOR DRIVER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH THE AIRCRAFT AND BAG TRACTOR. THERE WERE 2 FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS, 1 CABIN CREW MEMBER, AND 10 PASSENGERS ONBOARD. NO CREW OR PASSENGER INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE DRIVER OF THE ELECTRIC BAG TRACTOR WAS TRANSPORTED A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES TO THE HEAD, SPINE, AND LEGS.
AT APPROXIMATELY 18:49 CT, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING SOUTHBOUND ON TAXIWAY (TWY) A (ALPHA). AT THE SAME TIME, THE ELECTRIC BAG TRACTOR, WITH NO BAGGAGE CARTS ATTACHED, WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND FROM TERMINAL 5 TOWARDS TERMINAL 3 ON AN ACCESS ROAD BETWEEN TWY A16 AND A15.
THE BAG TRACTOR (ON ACCESS ROAD) YIELDED RIGHT OF WAY TO AN AIRCRAFT TAXIING NORTH ON TWY (B), CROSSED TWY (B), ENTERED THE ISLAND BETWEEN TWY (A) AND TWY (B), THEN ENTERED TWY (A) WHILE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS TAXING SOUTH ON TWY (A) (RIGHT TO LEFT FROM BAG TRACTOR DRIVER’S PERSPECTIVE. THE AIRCRAFT’S LEFT WING STRUCK THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BAG TRACTOR’S CABIN. THE BAG TRACTOR WAS TURNED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE WITH THE DRIVER PINNED INSIDE. EMERGENCY SERVICES REMOVED THE DRIVER FROM THE OVERTURNED BAG TRACTOR AND TRANSPORTED THE DRIVER TO THE HOSPITAL. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING’S LEADING EDGE, SPAR, AND RELATED UNDERLINING PARTS.
THE SIGNAGE AND MARKINGS ON THE ACCESS ROAD WERE PRESENT AND LEGIBLE AFTER SUNSET. SERVICE ROAD AND TAXIWAY LIGHTING WAS ILLUMINATED AND OPERATIONAL. THE BAG TRACTOR’S HEADLIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT’S (LEFT AND RIGHT) WINGS AND NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS AND BEACON WERE ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THIS INVESTIGATION WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT’S NOSE LANDING LIGHTS WERE ON AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE PILOT-IN -COMMAND (PIC) STATED THEY SAW THE BAG TRACTOR’S HEADLIGHTS ON THE ACCESS ROAD PRIOR TO CROSSING THE INTERSECTION BUT THOUGHT THE BAG TRACTOR WAS SLOWING TO YIELD RIGHT OF WAY. THE PIC BECAME AWARE OF THE BAG TRACTOR ENTERING TWY (A) FROM THE LEFT WITH THEIR PERIPHERAL VISION IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO FEELING THE IMPACT OF THE COLLISION. THE BAG TRACTOR DRIVER STATED THEIR PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE WAS STORED IN A POCKET AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND DID NOT HAVE A COMPANY RADIO IN THE BAG TRACTOR. THE DRIVER STATED THEY DID NOT SEE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT UNTIL JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SHOWS THE BAG TRACTOR’S LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AS IT CROSSES ONTO TWY (A) JUST PRIOR TO THE COLLISION.
THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED PENDING RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE.
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 N420AW · 1
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