- Date
- December 18, 2004, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cleveland, OH
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N417CWRaytheon Corporate Jets 400A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 24, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20041218033559A
- Case key
- 60799
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 loss of directional control by the operator of a ground service vehicle.
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 operator of the ground service vehicle was driving towards the airplane to unplug the ground power unit after the pilots started the engines. As the vehicle was being positioned around the airplane, a tow bar, which was placed on the vehicle, began to slip off. The vehicle operator attempted to grab the tow bar and steer the vehicle at the same time, but fell off the vehicle onto the ground. The unoccupied vehicle continued towards the airplane, striking the right wing.
Factual narrative
On December 18, 2004, at 1230 eastern standard time, a Raytheon Beechjet 400A, N417CW, operated by Flight Options Inc., was substantially damaged after being struck by a ground service vehicle, while parked at the Cuyahoga County Airport (CGF), Cleveland, Ohio. The two certificated airline transport pilots were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the positioning flight destined for Fort Myers, Florida. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the operator of the ground service vehicle, he was driving towards the airplane to unplug the ground power unit after the pilots started the engines. As the vehicle was being positioned around the airplane, a tow bar, which was placed on the vehicle, began to slip off. The vehicle operator attempted to grab the tow bar and steer the vehicle at the same time, but fell off the vehicle onto the ground. The unoccupied vehicle continued towards the airplane, striking the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N417CW
- Reported as
- Raytheon Corporate Jets 400A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- RK-17
- Airframe hours
- 76
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5, 2,965 lbs thrust, turbo fanPratt & Whitney JT15D-5, 2,965 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Flight Options, LLC
- Registered owner
- Options Financing Co, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 7, 2004 · 6,461 hours before
- Departed
- CGF · Cleveland, OH
- Destination
- RSW · Fort Meyers, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CGF · Cuyahoga County Airport
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,550 total · 300 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,331 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Observed at
- CGF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.