- Date
- December 2, 2003, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Jamaica, NY
- Injuries
- 45 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N916CACanadair CL-600-2B19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-15
- FAA report
- 20031202033289A
- Case key
- 58410
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
An encounter with an unoccupied belt loader, after the belt loader driver inadvertently fell to the ground while maneuvering. Factors in this accident were the gusty wind conditions and the failure of the operator to require that persons operating belt loaders use seat belts.
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 airplane was parked, and in the process of deplaning passengers when it was struck by an unoccupied belt loader. The driver of the belt loader stated that she was maneuvering the belt loader when she fell off due to the gusty wind conditions. The airplane was parked in a confined area of the ramp, which would have required tight turns to maneuver the belt loader. The belt loader was equipped with an operational seat belt. The operator did not require that seat belts be utilized when operating belt loaders. Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident were sustained at 25 knots, with 30 knot gusts.
Factual narrative
On December 2, 2003, about 1645 eastern standard time, a Canadair CL-600-2B19, N916CA, operated by Comair Inc. as flight 5242, was substantially damaged when it was struck by ground equipment, while standing at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Jamaica, New York. The certificated airline transport pilot, commercial co-pilot, a flight attendant, and 42 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The scheduled passenger flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.
The airplane was parked, and in the process of deplaning passengers when it was struck on it's right side, by an unoccupied belt loader. The driver of the belt loader stated that she was maneuvering belt loader when she fell off due to gusty wind conditions. She was not injured.
Ground support services were provided for the airplane by Delta Airlines personnel.
According to Delta Airlines, the airplane was parked in a confined area of the ramp, which would have required tight turns to maneuver the belt loader.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the belt loader was equipped with an operational seat belt.
Delta Airlines did not require seat belt usage for ground service equipment, except for forklifts and roadway vehicles.
The weather reported at the airport, about the time of the accident included sustained winds of 25 knots, with 30 knot gusts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N916CA
- Reported as
- Canadair CL-600-2B19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7014
- Airframe hours
- 24,889
- Engines
- General Electric CF34-3A1, 9,220 horsepower, turbo fanGeneral Electric CF34-3A1, 9,220 horsepower, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Comair Inc
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 14, 2003 · 229 hours before
- Departed
- PIT · Pittsburgh, PA
- Destination
- JFK · Jamaica, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- JFK · John F. Kennedy Int'l
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 4,537 total · 2,403 in this make and model · 2,320 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 84 in the last 30 days · 77 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 14, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,247 total · 770 in this make and model · 1,270 as pilot in command · 314 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 25 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- JFK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.