Bombardier, Inc. CL-600-2B19 accident near Chicago O'Hare, Illinois, June 1, 2005
On June 1, 2005, a Bombardier, Inc. CL-600-2B19, registered N417AW, suffered minor damage in an accident near Chicago O'Hare, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 26 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The opening of the service door when the airplane was pressurized. Contributing to the accident was the captain's failure to ensure that one of the airplane doors was open while a ground-cooling cart was connected, which resulted in pressurizing the airplane on the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2005
- Place
- Chicago O'Hare, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 26 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bombardier, Inc. CL-600-2B19
- Registration
- N417AW · registry record · serial 7610
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the flight crew was preparing the aircraft for flight, the flight attendant opened the service door and was ejected onto the tarmac and seriously injured. At the time of the accident, the airplane was being cooled by an external diesel powered air conditioning cart that pressurizes the cabin when the airplane doors are closed. The external air conditioning cart was required because the auxiliary power unit was inoperative. The captain said that he briefed the flight attendant, before boarding the airplane and again in the cockpit, to keep one door open. The captain did not specify that the reason the flight attendant needed to keep a door open was because the air conditioning cart pressurized the cabin if all the doors were closed. After passenger boarding was completed the flight attendant stated she approached the cockpit and the captain asked her to close the main cabin door and the service door. She closed the service door, and crossed the galley and closed the main cabin door. Right afterward, the captain felt the pressure rise in his ears and yelled "GET THE DOOR OPEN." The flight attendant approached the service door and bent down, held the service door assist handle with her left hand and opened the service door with her right hand. As the service door unlatched it forcefully opened and ejected the flight attendant onto the ground. Although the flight crewmembers and ramp operators receive training regarding the operation and warnings of pressurizing the cabin when the air conditioning cart is hooked up to the airplane, the flight attendants do not receive any training on the operation and warnings for the external air conditioning cart. The airplane has two placards warning to keep a door open when the air conditioning cart is hooked up to the airplane. One placard is on the overhead console in the cockpit and the other is outside of the cabin on the fuselage skin directly above the connection for the external air conditioning cart.
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
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 51,000 lb
- Seats: 54
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: General Electric CF-34-3B1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: ORD Chicago O'Hare IL
- Destination: ABE Allentown PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 | ||
| Passengers | 24 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.