# NTSB ERA25LA060: Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2012 Traveller, N651CA, Boston, MA, November 25, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: November 25, 2024, 18:26 local (23:26 UTC) - Place: Boston, MA · Taxiway Alpha at BOS airport - Coordinates: 42.364193, -71.015272 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3642&lon=-71.0153&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Taxi-from runway: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 20, 2025 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 195551 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA060 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195551/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195551 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA060 ## Probable cause The tug crew’s inadequate visual lookout while towing an airplane at night and their failure to identify a stationary airplane within sufficient time/distance to stop. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545): Personnel issues › Psychological · Ground crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2012 TRAVELLER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md?model=0330521), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) - [Light condition: dark](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel; cases with it: [Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2012 TRAVELLER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020/cases.md?model=0330521), [All aircraft, 448 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Taxi-from runway: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event); cases with it: [Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2012 TRAVELLER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=0330521), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md) ## Analysis At the conclusion of the air taxi flight, the flight crew were taxiing the small twin-engine airplane to their assigned gate at night. The crew were holding short of the gate area and awaiting clearance to enter. After holding for about 10 minutes with the airplane’s parking brake set, the flight crew heard a loud noise and the airplane lunged forward when it was stuck from behind by a tug that was towing an unoccupied airliner. The small airplane sustained substantial damage to its elevator and horizontal stabilizer. The tug’s windshield was damaged during the collision, and the airliner was not damaged. Surveillance video showed that the tug’s headlights were operating as it drove straight along the taxiway toward the small airplane. The small airplane’s wing and tail navigational light were also visible and operating. As the tug approached the rear of the airplane, its headlights brightened, and its speed abruptly slowed just prior to the impact with the airplane’s elevator. According to the company who operated the tug, following the accident, the driver and safety observer in the tug initially reported that its brakes had “failed” but later described that the brakes were not operating as expected. The tug crew also reported that an “oversteer alarm” had been sounding continuously during their operation of the tug, and that they had reported this to a supervisor prior to initiating the tow of the airliner. They were instructed to complete the tow, after which maintenance personnel would evaluate the reason for the alarm. Following the accident, maintenance personnel performed an operational check of the tug’s brakes and noted no anomalies. Further examination revealed that the oversteer alarm was due to a malfunction in the tug’s monitoring system. Given this information it is likely that the tug crew saw the small airplane, but their visual lookout was not sufficient to identify it with sufficient time/distance to stop. While the tug was being operated with an active alarm, this should not have impacted the tug crew’s ability to stop the tug while driving straight on a taxiway. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N651CA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N651CA), registered now, S/N 039/US, built 2021 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: COSTRUZIONI AERONAUTICHE TECNA P2012 TRAVELLER - Registry model: [Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2012 TRAVELLER](https://openairdocs.org/model/costruzioni-aeronautiche-tecna-p2012-traveller) (registry code 0330521) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TEO-540-C1A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-teo-540-c1a) (registry code 42715, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 039/US - Year built: 2021 - Airframe hours: 1894.6 - Engines: LYCOMING TEO-540-C1A 375 horsepower reciprocating; LYCOMING TEO-540-C1A 375 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Hyannis Air Service Inc, doing business as Cape Air - Registered owner: Hyannis Air Service Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, November 1, 2024, 46 hours before - Departed: ACK, Nantucket, MA - Destination: Same as departure - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: BOS, General Edward Lawrence Logan Intl - Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, Onboard weather, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 26; injuries: minor; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 13, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,800 total, 800 in this make and model, 475 as pilot in command, 118 in the last 90 days, 34 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 29; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 4, 2024; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,000 total, 400 in this make and model, 100 as pilot in command, 103 in the last 90 days, 67 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 290° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: BOS - METAR: KBOS 252254Z 29010KT 10SM FEW230 09/M03 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP151 T00941028 ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195551. 48.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19328320&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120%201%20Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigation photographs (item 2, PDF, 4 pages, 764 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19328801&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf - Airplane operator's damage assessment (item 3, PDF, 19 pages, 37.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19329481&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Cape%20Air%20Damage%20Assessment_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Surveillance video (item 4, AVI, 8.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19328811&FileExtension=avi&FileName=Collision%20Video-Rel.avi - Memorandum for record - tug operator factual information (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 66 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19545094&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR%20JBU%20Examination%20Summary-Rel.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.