# NTSB NYC95LA078: Beech 1900C, N34010, Covington, KY, March 25, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 25, 1995, 16:40 local (21:40 UTC) - Place: Covington, KY - Coordinates: 39.079292, -84.699844 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0793&lon=-84.6998&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 19 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report August 23, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38936 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC95LA078 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38936/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC95LA078 ## Probable cause a lack of procedures by the tug operator to prevent inadvertent movement of an unoccupied tug, which resulted in an airplane being struck by an unoccupied tug which moved on its own. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - On ground/water collision with object, standing - procedures/directives - inadequate, company/operator management (cause) - object - aircraft parked/standing ## Analysis THE BEECH 1900 ARRIVED AT THE GATE AND WAS CHOCKED. A TUG PULLING A BAGGAGE CART WAS PARKED NEXT TO THE LEFT WING, FACING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND ENGINE WAS LEFT RUNNING. THE UNOCCUPIED TUG THEN STARTED MOVING, MADE A RIGHT TURN OF 270 DEGREES, AND STRUCK THE NOSE LANDING GEAR OF THE AIRPLANE, ON THE LEFT SIDE. AS THE TAIL PIVOTED LEFT, IT STRUCK A RAMP PERSON WHO FELL TO THE GROUND, AND RECEIVED A FRACTURED ELBOW. WHEN INTERVIEWED, THE DRIVER MADE CONFLICTING STATEMENTS AS TO WHETHER THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET, OR NOT SET. THE STATION MANAGER REPORTED THE TENSION ON THE PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WAS LOOSER THAN NORMAL. HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE PARKING BRAKE HAD BEEN SET, AND RELEASED ON ITS OWN, OR HAD NOT BEEN SET. DRIVERS WERE TAUGHT TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE, BUT THERE WAS NO REQUIREMENT TO CHOCK THE TUG, OR SHUT THE ENGINE OFF WHEN THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE. ## Factual narrative On March 25, 1995, at 1640 eastern standard time, a Beech 1900C, N34010, operated as Flight 2123 by GP Express Airlines, was struck by a moving tug while parked on the ramp at the Greater Cincinnati Airport, Covington, Kentucky. There were no injuries to the occupants, and the airplane received substantial damage. One ground handler received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and Flight 2123 had operated on an instrument flight plan under 14 CFR Part 135. According to interviews, after the airplane arrived at the gate area, the nose wheel was chocked. The forward cabin door was opened by the first officer, and the passengers remained seated, while the gate checked baggage was unloaded and placed next to the passenger exit. A tug with one baggage cart was parked on the left side of the airplane, pointed in the opposite direction of the airplane. After a few minutes, the unattended tug started to move under its own power. It completed a 270 degree turn to the right and struck the airplane on the nose landing gear, wrinkling the right side of the forward fuselage. The nose of the airplane was rotated approximately 90 degrees to the right. One baggage handler, who was unloading baggage from the aft baggage compartment, was struck by the airplane as the tail section rotated to the left, and fell to the ramp. She received a fractured elbow. Ground services for GP Express at Cincinnati, were handled by Continental Express. According to interviews and statements received from Continental Express, the company procedure was to set the parking brake when the tug was parked. The Station Manager reported that when he interviewed the tug driver after the occurrence, she did not remember if she had set the parking brake. When interviewed by the police, she reported that she had set the parking brake and placed the transmission in neutral. The Station Manager reported that the parking brake was found in the released position, and the tension on the parking brake handle was looser than normal. He was unable to determine if the brake had released on its own, due to vibration from the tug's engine, or had not been set. A chock was not used, or required to be used. There was no requirement to shut the engine off, if the tug was unoccupied. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N34010](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N34010-2004-08-27), registration cancelled 2004-08-27, S/N UC-3, built 1987 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 1900C - Registry model: [Beech 1900](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-1900) (registry code 1154160) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-65b) (registry code 52115, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: UC-3 - Airframe hours: 14819 - Engines: P&W PT6A-65B 1100 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: Gp Express - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 24, 1995, 9 hours before - Departed: GSO, GREENSBORO, NC - Destination: CVG - Airport: CVG, Greater Cincinnati ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 29; flight instructor, airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 4,400 total, 300 in this make and model, 3,120 as pilot in command, 250 in the last 90 days, 90 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950325011179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950325011179A), Mar 25, 1995: Beech 1900, Covington/Cinci, KY, Substantial damage. Uploading luggage on ramp a unattended tug on other side. Moved and circled into aircraft nose. Tail hit handler. ## Other investigations on N34010 (1) 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. - [NTSB SEA93IA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA93IA050), Jan 11, 1993: Beech 1900C (N34010), Riverton, WY, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S DISORIENTATION. FACTORS INCLUDE SNOW, FOG, SNOW COVERED TERRAIN, AND A DRAINAGE DITCH. 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.