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."
Damaged on the ground
accident date: 01-10-1997
type: Boeing 727-51C
registration: N414EX
accident date: 01-10-1997
type: Boeing 727-51C
registration: N414EX
accident date: 01-10-1997
type: Boeing 727-51C
registration: N414EX
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Wednesday 1 October 1997 |
| Time: | 04:36 MDT |
| Type: |  Boeing 727-51C |
| Operator: | Ryan International Airlines |
| Registration: | N414EX |
| MSN: | 18899/256 |
| First flight: | 1966-04-22 (31 years 6 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 47098 |
| Cycles: | 45215 |
| Engines: | 3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO (DEN) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Taxi (TXI) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN), United States of America |
| San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 607 |
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:
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:
 |
|
Classification:
Ground collisionDamaged on the ground
Sources:
» NTSBPhotos
accident date: 01-10-1997
type: Boeing 727-51C
registration: N414EX
accident date: 01-10-1997
type: Boeing 727-51C
registration: N414EX
accident date: 01-10-1997
type: Boeing 727-51C
registration: N414EX
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO to San Francisco International Airport, CA as the crow flies is 1524 km (952 miles).
Distance from Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO to San Francisco International Airport, CA as the crow flies is 1524 km (952 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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