# NTSB CEN13LA004: Boeing 717-200, N894AT, Milwaukee, WI, October 5, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 4, 2012, 20:10 local (Oct 5, 2012, 01:10 UTC) - Place: Milwaukee, WI - Coordinates: 42.941387, -87.891387 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.9414&lon=-87.8914&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Standing-engine(s) not oper: Aircraft servicing event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 108 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 22, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 85253 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13LA004 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/85253/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=85253 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA004 ## Probable cause An obstruction (a sleeve of cups) that lodged under the catering truck brake pedal, which prevented the driver from stopping the truck before it struck the parked airplane. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Object/animal/substance: ground vehicle](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022025): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 717-200, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022025/cases.md?model=1383700), [All aircraft, 132 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Standing-engine(s) not oper: Aircraft servicing event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 717-200, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020/sequence.md?model=1383700), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020/sequence.md) ## Analysis The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight arrived at its gate and passengers began deplaning. A catering truck approached the right front service door. The catering truck driver said he applied the brakes three times in an attempt to stop the truck before it struck the airplane. The truck driver subsequently found that a “sleeve of hot/cold cups” rolled under the brake pedal and obstructed its movement. ## Factual narrative On October 4, 2012, about 2010 central daylight time, a Boeing 717-200, N894AT, was struck by a catering truck while it was parked at the gate at General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE), Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There were no injuries to the deplaning 103 passengers and 5 flight crew. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest, NA, Salt Lake City, Utah, and operated by Southwest Airlines, Inc., Dallas, Texas, as Flight 725, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a scheduled domestic passenger flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed and closed. The cross-country flight had originated from Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL), Atlanta, Georgia. The airplane had arrived at gate C14 and passengers had started deplaning. A catering truck, owned by AirTran Airways and operated by Aerotek Aviation, approached the right front service door. The driver said he attempted to stop, applying the brakes 3 times. The truck did not stop and struck the airplane. After the accident, the driver of the truck found a sleeve of hot/cold cups under the brake pedal. The damage to the airplane was confined to the area of the production splice, a joint where the forward portion of the fuselage is mated to the midsection fuselage. This included fuselage stations 207, 218, 228. 235, and 250. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N894AT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N894AT), registered now, S/N 55046, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 717-200 - Registry model: [Boeing 717-200](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-717-200) (registry code 1383700) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce BR-700 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-br-700-series) (registry code 54565, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 55046 - Airframe hours: 24645 - Engines: Rolls Royce BR715C1-30 21000 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Southwest Airlines, Inc., doing business as AirTran Airways - Registered owner: Wells Fargo Bank Northwest, NA - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, October 2, 2012 - Departed: KATL, Atlanta, GA - Destination: KMKE, Milwaukee, WI - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KMKE, General Mitchell International ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; injuries: none; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 250° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 8,500 ft broken - Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.01 inHg - Observed at: KMKE ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20121004022789A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121004022789A), Oct 4, 2012: Boeing 717-200, Milwaukee, WI, Substantial damage. On oct. 04, 2012 at approximately 2010 CDT, a catering truck owned by airtran airways and operated by an aerotek aviation employee came into contact with… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 13, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=85253. - NTSB Form 6120.1-2,Pilot-Operator Aircraft Accident Report (item 1, .PDF, 3.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40378754&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120.1-2,Pilot-Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Tyrone Wright's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 97 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40379517&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Tyrone%20Wright%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, Incident Report (item 3, .PDF, 989 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40379009&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Milwaukee%20County%20Sheriff%27s%20Office,%20Incident%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Specimen Result Certificate (item 4, .PDF, 85 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40379005&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Specimen%20Result%20Certificate-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1 - Night photo looking aft and the damage to N894AT after being struck by catering truck (item 5, .PDF): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40379866&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Night%20photo%20looking%20aft%20and%20the%20damage%20to%20N894AT%20after%20being%20struck%20by%20catering%20truck-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Night photo looking forward and the damage to N894AT after being struck by catering truck (item 6, .PDF): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40379868&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Night%20photo%20looking%20forward%20and%20the%20damage%20to%20N894AT%20after%20being%20struck%20by%20catering%20truck-Master.PDF 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. --- 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.