On March 6, 1995, a Beech 1900 (registration N130UE) operated by Great Lakes Aviation, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Minneapolis, MN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot-in-command's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles during taxi operations. Related factors are the dark night light conditions and the wrong taxi route. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot taxied off the active taxiway onto an unlit commuter ramp to avoid air carrier traffic, striking a baggage cart and step stool in the dark.
What happened
The pilot reported that while taxiing from the runway toward the parking area, they encountered air carrier traffic ahead. To avoid passing behind the larger aircraft, the pilot elected to leave the designated taxiway and cross the commuter airplane parking ramp.
As the aircraft moved across the ramp surface, it struck an unattended baggage cart and a step stool. The pilot noted that the incident occurred during nighttime conditions. The specific area of the collision was not well lit, which likely contributed to the inability to see the ground equipment in time to avoid impact.