Casualties unknown

Pushback Incident During Aircraft Ground Maneuver (N454YV)

Denver, CO, US

On May 30, 2005, a DE Havilland DHC-8-202 (registration N454YV) was involved in an aviation accident near Denver, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The improper procedures conducted by the ground personnel and the flight crew's failure to coordinate procedures with the ground personnel during push back operation which resulted in the collision between the ground support vehicle and the airplane. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

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

During pushback, a trainee turned the aircraft in the wrong direction; the supervisor corrected the turn, causing nose wheels to exit the cradle and rest on the ground support vehicle.

Incident Details

During initial pushback operations, a trainee operating a ground support vehicle turned the aircraft in the wrong direction. The supervisor then took over control of the vehicle. While attempting to turn the aircraft around, the nose wheels rolled out of the vehicle's wheel cradle and up onto the ground support vehicle itself.

An employee reported overhearing one of the flight crewmembers inform dispatch that ground personnel were making a sharp turn and that the crewmember believed the airplane might be pushed back into another aircraft.

Company Response

The company that provided the ground support personnel stated that the pushback operation should have come to a stop and that communication should have occurred between the flight crew and ground crew to resolve all concerns regarding safe maneuvers.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20050610X00753. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.