Accident Boeing 727-51C N414EX,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 324126

Date:	Wednesday 1 October 1997
Time:	04:36
Type:	Boeing 727-51C
Owner/operator:	Ryan International Airlines
Registration:	N414EX
MSN:	18899/256
Year of manufacture:	1966
Total airframe hrs:	47098 hours
Cycles:	45215 flights
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Denver International Airport, CO (DEN) - United States of America
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Denver International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN)
Destination airport:	San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Boeing 727-51C was involved in a ground collision with an airport shuttle bus while taxiing for takeoff at Denver International Airport. The captain sustained serious injuries; the first officer received minor injuries, and the flight engineer was not injured. The shuttle bus driver received minor injuries. Two passengers aboard the bus were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed for the scheduled domestic cargo flight. Preliminary information indicates the shuttle bus was en route from the employees' south parking lot to concourse C. The bus was traveling north on a road that crosses the south cargo ramp. According to the first officer, N414EX had been cleared to taxi "right side out" and to hold short of the taxiway. There is a stop sign at the intersection. The driver reportedly stopped before proceeding across the ramp. A bus passenger saw the aircraft approaching from the left and yelled three times for the driver to stop. The driver later said he thought the passenger was referring to an aircraft off to the right side. The first officer said the navigation lights, rotating beacon, and runway turnoff lights were operating. He saw "something dark" off to the right and yelled a warning to the captain. He did not see the bus' headlights. The flight engineer said she saw the bus, but "the bus was hazy. It was not clearly discernible." She did not see headlights or interior lights on the bus. The captain could not be interviewed. The left and right main tires left skid marks measuring 22 and 24 feet, respectively. The nose tire was pushed left and left a skid mark 16 feet in length. The nose section of the airplane was destroyed. The left front portion of the bus was damaged and the windshield was knocked out.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Failure of the bus driver to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic due to his inadequate visual lookout. Factors were visibility restrictions, inadequate driver training by management, and the flight crew's inadequate visual lookout due to their attention being diverted by performing the pre-takeoff checklist."

Accident investigation: