- Date
- September 17, 2021, 13:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Asheville, NC
- Injuries
- 51 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N444ZWBombardier CL-600-2B19
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- Air Wisconsin Airlines, FAA Office of Accident Investigation, AVP-100
- FAA report
- 20210917014509A
- Case key
- 103922
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 fuel truck driver backing up in the direction of the airplane without the use of marshallers.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the flight crew, after pushback they received instructions from the ground controller to hold their position due to a 30-minute delay before takeoff. While they were holding, a fuel truck began backing up in their direction without the assistance of marshallers. The captain attempted to get the drivers attention by flashing the airplane’s landing lights. However, the fuel truck driver continued backing up and struck the airplane resulting in substantial damage to an area under the first officer’s window. The captain immediately shut down the right engine and made a public address announcement for the passengers to remain seated. Post-accident inspection revealed a hole in the forward fuselage of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N444ZW
- Reported as
- Bombardier CL-600-2B19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7788
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 38,506
- Engines
- GE CF34 SERIES, 9,140 lbs thrust, turbo fanGE CF34 SERIES, 9,140 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC, doing business as United Express
- Registered owner
- Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 15, 2021
- Departed
- KAVL · Asheville, NC
- Destination
- KORD · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- AVL · Asheville Rgnl
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,039 total · 1,786 in this make and model · 1,688 as pilot in command · 226 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,665 total · 427 in this make and model · 1,158 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 64 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.