What happened
On a clear night, two aircraft landed in sequence on runway 4R and began taxiing toward their respective gates. The American MD-80 landed first, followed by a Continental Boeag 737. During the taxi phase, the crew of the Continental Boeing 737 was instructed to cross runway 4L and contact ground control after completing the crossing.
The collision occurred at the intersection of taxiways 'R' and 'K'. At the time of the impact, both flight crews were focused on cockpit duties and did not observe the other aircraft prior to the collision.
Findings
Investigation revealed that neither crew received traffic information or a warning from air traffic control (ATC) before the impact occurred. The ATC specialists in the tower were distracted by a maintenance airplane taxiing near runway 11 at the time of the event. Local and ground controllers stated they believed the two aircraft would not collide, which resulted in the failure to issue any warnings or traffic advisories. Weather conditions were clear and were not a contributing factor to the accident.