Incident Details
On November 2, 2015, at approximately 1925 central standard time, a Cessna 208 Caravan, registration N732MD, was substantially damaged while taxiing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). The aircraft had just landed on Runway 27 and was proceeding to the ramp via Taxiway R. When the flight crew reached a service road that intersected the taxiway, a vehicle moved directly across their path. The crew immediately applied brakes to avoid a collision. During the braking maneuver, the airplane's tail contacted the ground before the aircraft returned to a normal stance on its landing gear.
Aircraft and Flight
The aircraft, registered to Multi-Aero Inc. of Sarasota, Florida, and operating as Air Choice One of St. Louis, Missouri, was conducting a commuter passenger flight under Part 135 regulations. The flight originated from Ironwood, Michigan (IWD), with ORD as its final destination. On board were a pilot, a co-pilot, and seven passengers. Night visual meteorological conditions were reported at the time. Occupants were not injured.
Aftermath
After the incident, the flight crew contacted ground control to report the vehicle encounter and then resumed taxi to the ramp. The driver of the service vehicle (designated OPS 11) had radioed the tower on frequency 120.75, stating that he had cut off an aircraft on Taxiway R. A few minutes later, the driver radioed on frequency 129.9 and apologized. Both the pilot-in-command and the first officer reported that the service vehicle cut them off and they stopped immediately to avoid a collision.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a special flight permit to ferry the aircraft from ORD to the operator's repair facility in St. Louis, Missouri, for repairs. According to the NTSB Form 6120, an inspection by the operator revealed structural damage to the aft pressure bulkhead.