Event CHI95LA049

Factual narrative

On November 30, 1994, about 0535 central standard time, Burlington Express flight 814, a Douglas DC-8-71F, N826BX, operated by Air Transport International, sustained minor damage when the tail stand collapsed at the O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois. A ground crew member, who was unloading the airplane, reported serious injury. The three flight crew members, who had not deplaned, and three other ground crew members, also on board, reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 121 flight had landed at 0522 and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. In a written statement, a representative of Burlington Express reported that the airplane landed in Chicago at 0522. He said a tail stand was installed and four cargo technicians boarded the plane and began downloading procedures. The cargo locks in the front belly P1 position were removed and approximately 2,000 pounds of cargo were downloaded, leaving 2,100 pounds in the P1 position. The technicians were unlocking the P12 position and the airplane tail settled. The airplane sustained minor damage to the cargo door and an antenna. The unlocked pallet from the P1 position rolled aft to the P11 position. Three of the technicians avoided the moving pallet. The fourth technician was trapped by the pallet and sustained serious injury to his foot. The report stated that standard procedures for downloading the airplane were "possibly glazed over." Additionally, the scheduled turn around time for this flight was 45 minutes and "safety might be and has been compromised to make the turn". A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector who responded to the accident reported that the airplane was unloaded improperly. The Burlington training manual specifies that the airplane should be unloaded from the rear of the airplane first. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, A REPRESENTATIVE OF BURLINGTON EXPRESS REPORTED THAT AFTER THE AIRPLANE LANDED, FOUR CARGO TECHNICIANS BOARDED THE PLANE AND BEGAN DOWNLOADING PROCEDURES. THE CARGO LOCKS IN THE FRONT BELLY WERE REMOVED AND APPROXIMATELY 2,000 POUNDS OF CARGO WERE DOWNLOADED. THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNLOCKING CARGO IN THE TAIL WHEN THE AIRPLANE TAIL SETTLED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CARGO DOOR AND AN ANTENNA. THE UNLOCKED PALLET FROM THE FRONT BELLY ROLLED AFT AND ONE OF THE TECHNICIANS WAS TRAPPED BY THE PALLET AND SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURY TO HIS FOOT. THE REPORT STATED THAT STANDARD PROCEDURES FOR DOWNLOADING THE AIRPLANE WERE 'POSSIBLY GLAZED OVER.' A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS UNLOADED IMPROPERLY. THE BURLINGTON TRAINING MANUAL SPECIFIES THAT THE AIRPLANE SHOULD BE UNLOADED FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE FIRST. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12