- Date
- April 1, 1997, 22:20 local (Apr 2, 1997, 03:20 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic City, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 37 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N280MAFokker F-27
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970401045879A
- Case key
- 28181
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
Failure of the driver of the van to set the parking brake before exiting the van.
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
While taxiing, the pilot observed a van travelling in reverse motion, moving from the pilot's left to right. The pilot signaled the van with the landing lights to attract the driver's attention, but the van passed the nose of the airplane. The pilot stopped the airplane, and the van continued and struck the right rear fuselage of the airplane. The investigation revealed that the driver had exited the running van to work on another airplane, without setting the parking brake. The van's transmission had been replaced the day of the accident, and the indicator for the gear selection was missing from the steering column.
Factual narrative
On April 1, 1997, at 2220 eastern standard time, N280MA, a Fokker F27, operated by Eagle Jet Charter Inc. of Las Vegas, Nevada, was substantially damaged when it was struck by a driverless Nations Air maintenance van, while standing on the ramp at the Atlantic City International Airport, Atlantic City, New Jersey. The certificated airline transport pilot, co-pilot, flight attendant and the 34 passengers were not injured, while one passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for charter passenger flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.
The pilot reported that while taxiing slowly through the ramp area, he observed a van approaching the airplane from the "10 to 11 o'clock position." He said the van was travelling in reverse motion from left to right. He signaled the van with the landing lights, but the van passed the nose of the airplane in a curving turn. He stopped the airplane, but the driverless van continued in reverse until it struck the right rear fuselage.
According to the driver of the maintenance van, he had exited the running van to work on another airplane without setting the parking brake. He had placed the gear shift handle in the park position.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the van's transmission was replaced the day of the accident, and the gear selection indicator on the steering column was missing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N280MA
- Reported as
- Fokker F-27
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10522
- Airframe hours
- 39,716
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce DART 532-7R, 1,850 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Eagle Jet Charter Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 14, 1997 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- ACY · NJ
- Destination
- RIC · Richmond, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ACY · Atlantic City Intl
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,172 total · 156 in this make and model · 3,743 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.