No fatalities

Airplane Fuselage Damaged When Ground Crew Pulls Air-Starter Cart Without Disconnecting Hose

Pittsburgh, PA, United States

On November 2, 2010, a BOMBARDIER INC CL-600-2B19 operated by SkyWest Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Pittsburgh, PA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The ground crew’s failure to detach the air-starter hose from the airplane before moving the cart away resulting in structural damage to a skin panel. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

According to the operator, a ground crew worker caused substantial damage to an airplane's fuselage by pulling an air-starter cart without first disconnecting the hose.

Event Description

The occurrence unfolded while the airplane was parked at the gate, preparing to push back for a revenue flight. A ground crew worker had connected an air-starter cart to the aircraft. After determining that the cart was not functioning properly, the worker attempted to move the cart away from the airplane.

Damage

During this operation, the worker pulled the cart without disconnecting the hose, which remained attached to the aircraft. This action resulted in substantial damage to the skin panels on the left, lower side of the airplane's fuselage.

Operator's Account

The operator provided the account of the event. The worker's failure to disconnect the hose before moving the cart led to the damage. No further details were disclosed regarding the specific aircraft type, registration, or other circumstances.

Contributing factors

Ground crew