- Date
- March 14, 1994, 20:45 local (Mar 15, 1994, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Kansas City, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N90CABeech 18S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940314008439A
- Case key
- 9485
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the failure of the driver of the ground vehicle to exercise proper visual lookout.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The cargo flight had received clearance to taxi to the UPS cargo ramp. At a point where the taxiway crosses an airport vehicular access road the pilot saw lights and a fast moving automobile coming from his left. He attempted to turn the airplane to the right to avoid a collision, but the airport police vehicle struck and collapsed the left main landing gear. The wing of the airplane came to rest on the vehicle. Witnesses reported the automobile was travelling at a high rate of speed and did not yield to the airplane. The driver of the automobile stated she did not see the airplane until the last minute.
Factual narrative
On March 14, 1994, at 2045 central standard time, a Beech 18S, N90CA, operated by Cape Central Airlines, Cape Girardeaux, Missouri, sustained substantial damage when it was struck by an airport police vehicle at the Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, Missouri. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airport safety officer, who was the driver of the automobile, received minor injuries. The airplane had just completed a cargo flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 135, and was taxiing to the UPS cargo ramp when the mishap occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and an IFR flight plan was filed for the flight.
The pilot received clearance from ground control to taxi to the UPS ramp after landing. The airplane was on taxiway B-7, which leads to the UPS ramp, when the accident occurred. The pilot reported he saw lights and a fast moving car to his left and attempted to turn the airplane to the right to avoid a collision. The automobile was on Ottawa Avenue, an airport access road which crosses taxiway B-7. The automobile went under the left wing of the airplane, and struck and collapsed the left main landing gear. The airplane came to rest on the automobile.
Witnesses on the UPS ramp reported the automobile was southbound on Ottawa Avenue at a high rate of speed and did not yield to the airplane. The airport police officer driving the automobile stated: "I didn't see the aircraft until the last moment, and upon impact I laid down on the seat and that probably saved me."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90CA
- Reported as
- Beech 18S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BA-319
- Engine
- P&W PW-985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Cape Central Airways Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 1993 · 297 hours before
- Departed
- MHK · Manhattan, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MCI · Kansas City International, runway 1L, 1,080 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.