What happened
During the disembarkation of passengers, the aircraft was chocked and the seat belt sign had been deactivated. As a belt-loader operator approached the aircraft, he performed a brake test which initially appeared normal. However, as the belt-loader reached a distance of approximately 3 to 4 feet from the fuselage, the brakes either jammed or became stuck and failed to operate.
Despite the operator shifting the transmission into neutral, the belt-loader continued to roll forward. The vehicle ultimately struck the fuselage of the aircraft. The operator noted that he did not attempt to use the emergency brake during the incident.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the belt-loader was conducted, which revealed no mechanical discrepancies in the vehicle's systems.