Bombardier CL600 2D24 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, May 4, 2015
On May 4, 2015 at about 2:10 pm local time, a 2005 Bombardier CL600 2D24, registered N932LR, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 79 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 CRJ900 captain's misjudgment of the clearance between their horizontal stabilizer and the B757 winglet.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2015 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 79 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bombardier CL600 2D24 900, built 2005 · all CL600 2D24s on the register
- Registration
- N932LR · registry record · serial 15032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 4, 2015, at about 1410 UTC time, Mesa Airlines flight 5612, a CRJ900, N932LR, collided with a parked US Airways B757, while taxiing in the gate area of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX). The left horizontal stabilizer of the CRJ900 was substantially damaged when it struck the left winglet of the B757. There were no injuries to the 81 passengers and crew onboard the CRJ900. The B757 received minor damage and there were no persons aboard. Flight 5612 was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Par 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Albuquerque International Sunport (KABQ), Albuquerque, New Mexico, to KPHX. After landing in KABQ, the crew were notified via ACARS that their arrival gate had changed from B7 to B21. After arriving at the gate area, the crew inadvertently lined up with gate B23 and awaited marshallers. As the marshallers arrived, the crew noticed that they were aligned with the wrong gate and that a left turn to enter gate B21 was not possible due to ground obstructions. As a result, the flight crew decided to perform a right turn to return to the ramp area and then enter gate B23. The B757 was parked to the right of the CRJ900 at gate B25, and was aligned at about a 45 degree angle relative to the other parking configurations. As they reached approximately 90 degrees in the turn, the first officer (FO) advised the captain they were getting too close to the wing of the B757. The captain proceeded to slowly complete the right turn to exit the gate but the flight crew then felt a shudder and the FO noted possible damage to the winglet of the B757. The CRJ900 continued its taxi to the proper gate and all passengers deplaned normally. After engine shutdown, the captain exited the airplane to assess any damage to the CRJ900 and noticed the horizontal stabilizer leading edge was substantially damaged.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,609 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 127 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,545 as pilot in command; 1,470 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 2, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,946 hours in all; 325 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 253 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 11, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24,875.6 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 3, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 82,750 lb
- Seats: 83
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Genereal Electric CF34-8C5 (turbofan); 26,875 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF34-8C5 (turbofan); 21,226 hours total
- Operator: Mesa Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: KABQ Albuquerque NM at 2:31 pm
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from KPHX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | |||
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 75 |
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 DCA15CA118.