NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DEN89FA070
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE FAILURE OF THE CAPTAIN TO MAINTAIN A VISUAL LOOKOUT WHILE TAXIING HIS AIRCRAFT, INADVERTENTLY ALLOWING HIS AIRCRAFT TO CREEP INTO THE STATIONARY AIRCRAFT IN FRONT OF HIM.
Factual narrative
THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE WAS CLEARED BY ATC GROUND CONTROL TO PROCEED IN A TAXI LINE OF 10 AIRCRAFT THAT WERE WAITING FOR TAKEOFF. PROGRESS WAS SLOW AS THE AIRCRAFT MOVED AND THEN STOPPED AND MOVED AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES OF TAXIING, THE TWO SUBJECT AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP AGAIN. THE CAPTAIN SAID THAT WITHOUT REALIZING IT, HIS AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO CREEP UP ON THE PRECEDING AIRCRAFT UNTIL THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER STRUCK THE TAIL OF THE PROCEDING AIRCRAFT CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH AIRCRAFT. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE WAS AT THE CONTROLS AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION AND COULD NOT RECALL WHAT WAS OCCUPYING HIS ATTENTION PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION FAILED TO REVEAL ANY MALFUNCTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_DEN89FA070.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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