What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 1, 2026, an Embraer EMB-500 privacy data omitted was taxiing on taxiway "c" at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (rdu). Concurrently, an envoy ground services box truck (FR078) was traveling along the north service road from west to south cargo.
Upon reaching the taxiway "c" intersection, the ground vehicle operator brought the truck to a complete stop for several seconds before entering the taxiway into the path of the aircraft. Concurrently, the aircrew was taxiing at a high rate of speed and failed to maintain situational awareness as they approached the intersection.
The aircraft struck the right-hand side of the truck's box bed approximately 5 feet aft of the cab. The high-speed impact generated a severe rightward lateral force on the aircraft.
Aircraft damage: significant structural damage was recorded on the nose radom and forward nose compartment. The NLG assembly and gear trunnion structural integrity remained intact.
Vehicle damage: impact damage was concentrated 5 feet aft of the cab on the right-hand box bed, with scuffing on the right-hand rear outboard tire.
Cctv analysis: footage confirmed the truck stopped at the perimeter, paused, and then entered the taxiway, prior to the collision with the fast-moving aircraft.
ATC coordination: rdu airport traffic control tower (ATCT) management confirmed the aircraft operated without pilot deviations regarding tower instructions. Ground vehicles at this non-signalized crossing do not maintain radio contact with ATC and operate under a "stop and look" visual clearance agreement between rdu airport operations and the ATCT.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 1, 2026, AN EMBRAER EMB-500 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TAXIING ON TAXIWAY "C" AT RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (RDU). CONCURRENTLY, AN ENVOY GROUND SERVICES BOX TRUCK (FR078) WAS TRAVELING ALONG THE NORTH SERVICE ROAD FROM WEST TO SOUTH CARGO.
UPON REACHING THE TAXIWAY "C" INTERSECTION, THE GROUND VEHICLE OPERATOR BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO A COMPLETE STOP FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE ENTERING THE TAXIWAY INTO THE PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT. CONCURRENTLY, THE AIRCREW WAS TAXIING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS THEY APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION.
THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE TRUCK'S BOX BED APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET AFT OF THE CAB. THE HIGH-SPEED IMPACT GENERATED A SEVERE RIGHTWARD LATERAL FORCE ON THE AIRCRAFT.
AIRCRAFT DAMAGE: SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS RECORDED ON THE NOSE RADOM AND FORWARD NOSE COMPARTMENT. THE NLG ASSEMBLY AND GEAR TRUNNION STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY REMAINED INTACT.
VEHICLE DAMAGE: IMPACT DAMAGE WAS CONCENTRATED 5 FEET AFT OF THE CAB ON THE RIGHT-HAND BOX BED, WITH SCUFFING ON THE RIGHT-HAND REAR OUTBOARD TIRE.
CCTV ANALYSIS: FOOTAGE CONFIRMED THE TRUCK STOPPED AT THE PERIMETER, PAUSED, AND THEN ENTERED THE TAXIWAY, PRIOR TO THE COLLISION WITH THE FAST-MOVING AIRCRAFT.
ATC COORDINATION: RDU AIRPORT TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (ATCT) MANAGEMENT CONFIRMED THE AIRCRAFT OPERATED WITHOUT PILOT DEVIATIONS REGARDING TOWER INSTRUCTIONS. GROUND VEHICLES AT THIS NON-SIGNALIZED CROSSING DO NOT MAINTAIN RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC AND OPERATE UNDER A "STOP AND LOOK" VISUAL CLEARANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN RDU AIRPORT OPERATIONS AND THE ATCT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.