No fatalities

6 Jun 2008: Cessna 510 — Alejandro Herrera — Norfork, VA

Norfork, VA, United States

On 6 Jun 2008, a Cessna 510 operated by Alejandro Herrera was involved in an aviation accident near Norfork, VA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The ramp employee inadvertently placed the tractor tug into reverse, causing it to back into the airplane's right wing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A business jet sustained substantial damage to its right wing and aileron after a ramp employee inadvertently reversed a tractor tug into the aircraft while it was parked with engines running.

Overview

A privately owned business jet was involved in a ground incident on an airport ramp. According to the pilot's report, the airplane was parked with engines running and passengers onboard, ready to taxi for takeoff. A ramp employee driving a tractor tug had positioned the vehicle on the right side of the airplane and was waiting for it to move forward.

Incident Details

The pilot stated that the ramp employee inadvertently placed the tractor tug into reverse gear. As a result, the tug moved backward and struck the airplane's right wing. The tug had been stationary before the shift. The airplane itself was not moving at the time of impact.

Damage

The collision caused substantial damage to the right wing and the right aileron. No further details about the extent of the damage were provided. No injuries were reported in the source.

Pilot's Account

The pilot reported that the tug driver was parked on the right side, waiting for the airplane to taxi. The pilot observed the tug reverse into the wing. The cause of the tug's reverse movement was described as inadvertent by the ramp employee.

Probable cause

The ramp employee inadvertently placed the tractor tug into reverse, causing it to back into the airplane's right wing.

Contributing factors

Causes

Ground crew

Other contributing factors

Ground vehicle