# NTSB WPR09IA123: Embraer EMB-120ER, N270YV, Salt Lake City, UT, February 21, 2009 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: February 21, 2009, 11:12 local (18:12 UTC) - Place: Salt Lake City, UT - Coordinates: 40.788333, -111.9775 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7883&lon=-111.9775&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Taxi: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 13, 2009 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 73377 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR09IA123 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73377/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73377 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09IA123 ## Probable cause The flight crew's failure to maintain clearance from the stationary vehicle while taxiing. ## 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 · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: ground vehicle](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022025): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Awareness of condition; cases with it: [All aircraft, 132 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022025/cases.md) - [Light condition: glare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036030): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation; cases with it: [All aircraft, 109 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Taxi: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md) ## Analysis While taxiing on the ramp to their assigned terminal gate, the flight crew observed a stationary fuel truck parked to the right of their position. In order to ensure clearance, the captain positioned the airplane left of the taxiway centerline by 4 feet while the first officer monitored the clearance between the right wingtip and fuel truck. Subsequently, the right wing struck the fuel truck. The first officer stated that due to sun glare on the wing and fuel truck, he had a hard time judging the clearance between the wingtip and fuel truck. The wingtip damage was evaluated as minor. ## Factual narrative On February 21, 2009, about 1112 mountain standard time, an Embraer EMB-120ER, N270YV, sustained minor damage when it struck an occupied stationary fuel truck while taxiing at the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah. The airplane is registered to Wachovia Financial Services Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina, and operated by SkyWest Airlines Inc., St. George, Utah, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. The airline transport rated captain, commercial rated first officer, flight attendant, and mechanic onboard the airplane were not injured. The occupant in the fuel truck was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the maintenance reposition flight. The cross-country flight originated from Elko, Nevada at 0851 Pacific standard time and was destined for SLC. The captain and first officer reported that after landing on runway 16R, the flight was cleared to taxi to spot 23. The flight crew exited the runway and upon reaching spot 23, contacted ramp control. The ramp controller cleared the flight to taxi to spot 2 (Gate Echo 2 Alpha). While taxiing along the taxiway centerline, the flight crew noticed a parked fuel truck ahead and to the right of the aircraft located within a non-movement area. The captain stated that he then positioned the airplane about four feet to the left of the taxiway centerline in an attempt to avoid the fuel truck. The first officer monitored the clearance between the right wing and fuel truck. Subsequently, the right wingtip of the airplane struck the fuel truck across from gate Echo 32. The flight crew stated that after the collision, they immediately stopped the airplane and shut down both engines. The first officer stated that he had a "hard time" judging the distance between the right wing and fuel truck due to sun glare on the wing and fuel truck. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the right wingtip sustained minor damage. The fuel truck exhibited a dent and scuffing along the fuel tank about mid-span. ## Aircraft - Registration: N270YV (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: EMBRAER EMB-120ER - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 120.270 - Airframe hours: 35851 - Engines: P&W CANADA PW118 1800 horsepower; P&W Canada PW118 1800 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Skywest Airlines Inc - Registered owner: Wachovia Financial Services Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, February 17, 2009 - Departed: EKO, Elko, NV - Destination: SLC, Salt Lake City, UT - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: SLC, Salt Lake City Int. Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 9, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 2,711 total, 2,547 in this make and model, 917 as pilot in command, 184 in the last 90 days, 49 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 28; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review January 11, 2008; seat: right; flight hours: 1,891 total, 343 in this make and model, 92 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 18 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: SLC ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20090221000799I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090221000799I), Feb 21, 2009: Emb EMB120ER, Salt Lake City, UT, Minor damage. After landing, sky west flight 7816, an Emb-120 aircraft, N270YV, was taxing to its assigned parking spot in the ramp area after a maintenance reposition… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 3, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73377. 758 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 715 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40311476&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Record of Conversation - Captain (item 2, .PDF, 22 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40311477&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Captain-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation - First Officer (item 3, .PDF, 22 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40311478&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20First%20Officer-Master.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.