Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Indianapolis Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Indianapolis, Indiana 46241
Friday, December 17, 1999 16:04 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The right wing of a DC-8, Flight #638, collided with the radome of a parked DC-10 while taxing on the United Stated Postal Service (USPS) Eagle Hub Ramp. The DC-8 crew stated that the marshaller signaled them to pull forward out of the spot, then he signaled them to make a left turn to follow the green taxi line. The marshaller released the airplane prior to it intercepting the taxi line. It was during the turn that the airplanes collided. The USPS was conducting C-Net operations at the time of the accident. C-Net operations are in affect for the two weeks prior to Christmas during which parking and taxi routes are modified to support an increased number of cargo flights in airplanes larger then those normally used. Temporary dashed green taxi lines are painted on the ramp for C-Net operations. The ground handling contractor changed their procedures after this accident. The new procedures state that one marshaller will signal the airplane out of the parking spot and onto the appropriate taxi line, at which time a second marshaller will take over and direct the crew through the ramp area.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the flight crew misjudged the clearance between their right wing and the radome of the parked aircraft. A factor associated with the accident was the ground handling contractor failed to identify the unsafe/hazardous condition that existed on the congested ramp area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/17/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1604 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | INDIANAPOLIS |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46241 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | INDIANAPOLIS INT'L |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | IND |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 797 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1356 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IND |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 797 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1635 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 17 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2057 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 11 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N995CF |
| NTSB Number | CHI00LA047 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Douglas |
| Aircraft Model | DC-8-62 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | DC-8-62 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 46024 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 335000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 17 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 63922 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FLEET NATIONAL BANK |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 777 MAIN STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | HARTFORD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06115 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | EMERY WORLDWIDE AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1 EMERY PLAZA |
| Operator City | VANDALIA |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 45377 |
| Operator Code | RRXA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | IND |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MSP |
| Destination City | MINNEAPOLIS |
| Destination State | MN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 6 2004 1:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |