Casualties unknown

Baggage Tug Strikes Airplane on Taxiway After Night Landing (N596DM)

Albuquerque, NM, US

On March 14, 2002, a Cessna 402C (registration N596DM) operated by Aero Charter & Transport was involved in an aviation accident near Albuquerque, NM. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the tug driver to stop at the stop sign resulting in a collision with a taxiing airplane. A contributing factor was the dark night light conditions. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

After landing at night, an airplane exited the runway and taxied toward parking. While crossing a taxiway intersection, a baggage tug with only its right headlight illuminated struck the airplane's right wing.

Incident Overview

After a dark night landing, the airplane exited the runway onto a taxiway. The pilot stopped the aircraft, retracted the flaps, turned off the landing light, and radioed ground control for clearance to taxi to parking. After receiving clearance, the pilot began taxiing with the taxi lights illuminated.

Sequence of Events

As the airplane approached an access road intersection on the taxiway, the pilot observed a vehicle to his left stopped at the northbound stop sign. No traffic was visible to his right at the southbound stop sign. When the airplane entered the intersection, the pilot noticed a flash of light to his right. A baggage tug, with only its right headlight illuminated, struck the airplane's right wing.

Contributing Factors

The incident occurred under dark night conditions. The baggage tug was operating with only its right headlight on, which may have reduced its visibility to the pilot. The pilot did not see the tug before the collision.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20020319X00364. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.