Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 2, 1999
On July 2, 1999 at about 1:06 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32, registered N502ME, was substantially damaged in an accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin (General Mitchell Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The vehicle driver's inadvertent application of the accelerator pedal while backing towards the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1999 · about 1:06 pm local time
- Place
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin · General Mitchell Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 · all DC-9-32s on the register
- Registration
- N502ME · no longer on the register · serial 48132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The lavatory service truck impacted the fuselage of the parked aircraft while the truck was being backed into position. The driver of the lavatory service truck reported that her foot slipped off the brake pedal and depressed the accelerator pedal. Marshallers were not used during lavatory servicing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 41,567 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 25, 1999; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 110,000 lb
- Seats: 91
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W 48132 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGA New York NY
- Destination: MCI Kansas City MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 253° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from MKE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI99FA208.