NEW YORK, NY, USA
N804CA
Bombardier CL-600
N786AT
Boeing 727-214
A Bombardier CL-600 Regional Jet (CRJ) was stopped in an area where the taxiway split in two. The parking brake was set, and the crew was waiting for airplanes ahead to move forward, along one of the taxiways. A Boeing 727 attempted to pass obliquely behind the CRJ, on the other taxiway. The Boeing captain was aware the CRJ's location, and believed he had adequate clearance. However, while proceeding, on taxiway centerline, the Boeing crew felt a slight bump. They believed it was a seam in the concrete, but then heard the CRJ crew report the impact over the radio. The Boeing's left wing had struck the CRJ's right winglet, from aft, forward. The accident occurred at night.
On October 23, 2000, about 2120 Eastern Daylight Time, a Bombardier CL-600 Regional Jet (CRJ), N804CA, operating as Comair flight 5958, sustained substantial damage when it was struck by another airplane, while stopped in a taxiway at La Guardia International Airport (LGA), New York, New York. The other airplane, a Boeing 727-214, N786AT, operating as American Trans Air (ATA) flight 596, sustained minor damage. None of the 3 crewmembers and 36 passengers aboard the CRJ were injured, nor were any of the 7 crewmembers and 35 passengers onboard the Boeing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The CRJ had an instrument rules flight plan on file to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Covington, Kentucky, and the Boeing had an instrument rules flight plan on file to Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), Chicago, Illinois. The passenger flights were to be conducted under 14 CFR Part 121. The accident occurred where Taxiway Bravo curved to the left, and Taxiway Papa split off straight ahead, in the vicinity of cross-Taxiway Golf Golf (GG). According to the pilot/operator report submitted by ATA, the ATA Boeing 727 was taxiing on one engine, about the speed of a brisk walk. There were "at least" two airplanes in front of the ATA flight, with the Comair CRJ being the first, and a DC-9 being the second. Initial taxi instructions to the ATA flight were to proceed along Taxiway Alpha, then Lima, then Bravo, and hold short of GG. Approaching GG, the ATA crew switched to another ground control frequency, per controller instructions. Just short of GG, the crew was cleared to taxi, "Bravo - Papa, hold short of Runway 22." The DC-9 that was ahead, turned off Bravo at Juliet. The CRJ continued along Bravo, to where Bravo and Papa split. The CRJ was facing away from the taxiway's original heading, at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. "Aware of the RJ's location, the [ATA] captain believed he had adequate distancing to proceed." Proceeding along Bravo, to Papa, on taxiway centerline, the crew felt a slight bump. They believed it was a seam in the concrete, but then heard the CRJ crew report the impact. The captain of the CRJ reported that he received taxi clearance to Runway 13. The clearance was to proceed via Zulu and Bravo, and hold short of GG. Shortly after passing Juliet, the crew was instructed to hold short of GG, and change frequency. On the new frequency, a new clearance was issued for the airplane to continue on Bravo, turn right on Foxtrot, then hold short of Runway 22. The captain also stated that due to traffic ahead, the crew would periodically stop the airplane, and set the parking brake until the line of airplanes advanced. While the airplane was stopped on Bravo, approximately abeam of GG, and with the parking brake on, the crew felt "an abrupt jolt/impact." Damage reported by the operators included left wing leading edge and slat damage to the Boeing 727, and right winglet damage to the CRJ, consistent with an impact that emanated aft, and proceeded forward.
The Boeing captain's misjudgment of the distance between his airplane and the CRJ. A factor was the nighttime conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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