Focusing On A Loose 'Beverage Can' In The Cab Of The Truck

The NTSB has to investigate them all ... but this one is just a bit on the unusual side. A catering truck struck an AirTran B717 in Milwaukee, WI, damaging the airplane and forcing the evacuation everyone on board. The investigation is focusing on a loose "beverage can" in the truck that may have made it difficult for the driver to stop the vehicle.

NTSB Identification: CEN13LA004
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of Southwest Airlines, Inc.
Accident occurred Thursday, October 04, 2012 in Milwaukee, WI
Aircraft: Boeing 717-200, registration: N894AT
Injuries: 108 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 4, 2012, about 2015 central daylight time, a Boeing 717-200, N894AT, was struck by a catering truck while it was parked at its gate at General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE), Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There were no injuries to the deplaning 103 passengers and 5 flight crew. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest, NA, Salt Lake City, Utah, and by Southwest Airlines, Inc., Dallas, Texas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a scheduled domestic passenger flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed and closed. The cross-country flight had originated from Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL), Atlanta, Georgia.

Preliminary information indicates the airplane, flight 725, had arrived at Gate C14 and passengers had started deplaning. A catering truck, operated by Aerotek, approached the right front service door. The driver said a beverage can became lodged between the floor and brake pedal, preventing him from applying the brake and the truck struck the airplane. Damage was confined to the area of the production splice, a joint where the forward portion of the fuselage is mated to the midsection fuselage.

(AirTran B717 photo from file)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov