Embraer ERJ-170 accident near Cleveland, Ohio, February 18, 2007
On February 18, 2007 at about 8:06 pm local time, a Embraer ERJ-170, registered N862RW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Hopkins Internationa airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 74 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the flight crew to execute a missed approach when visual cues for the runway were not distinct and identifiable. Contributing to the accident were (1) the crew's decision to descend to the ILS decision height instead of the localizer (glideslope out) minimum descent altitude; (2) the first officer's long landing on a short contaminated runway and the crew's failure to use reverse thrust and braking to their maximum effectiveness; (3) the captain's fatigue, which affected his ability to effectively plan for and monitor the approach and landing; and (4) Shuttle America's failure to administer an attendance policy that permitted flight crewmembers to call in as fatigued without fear of reprisals.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 2007 · about 8:06 pm local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cleveland Hopkins Internationa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 74 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Embraer ERJ-170 · all ERJ-170s on the register
- Registration
- N862RW · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-08/01. On February 18, 2007, about 1506 eastern standard time, Delta Connection flight 6448, an Embraer ERJ-170, N862RW, operated by Shuttle America, Inc., was landing on runway 28 at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland, Ohio, during snow conditions when it overran the end of the runway, contacted an instrument landing system (ILS) antenna, and struck an airport perimeter fence. The airplane's nose gear collapsed during the overrun. Of the 2 flight crewmembers, 2 flight attendants, and 71 passengers on board, 3 passengers received minor injuries. The airplane received substantial damage from the impact forces. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 142 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,900 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 229 in the last 90 days; 96 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Seats: 70
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF34-8E5 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: General Electric CF34-8E5 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 6:31 pm
- Destination: CLE Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 6,017 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 330° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 8:17 pm from CLE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 70 |
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.