Beech 1900D incident near Denver, Colorado, January 4, 2005
On January 4, 2005 at about 2:34 am local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N202UX, suffered minor damage in an incident near Denver, Colorado (Denver Internationl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the tug driver's failure to maintain operational control of the tug, resulting in impact with an airplane. Contributing factors include the tug driver's improper procedure, the tug driver's inadequate initial ground equipment training, and the company/operator's inadequate certification/approval of the tug driver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2005 · about 2:34 am local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Denver Internationl · map
- Type
- Incident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N202UX · registry record
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to witnesses, the tug was parked behind the left wing of the airplane, facing in the opposite direction, with its engine running. The airplane's engines were not running. When the tug operator "jumped" onto the tug, he lost his footing and slipped. As he grabbed for something to catch his balance, his right arm hit the tug's gearshift lever. As the tug started moving forward in a right turn, the tug operator's left foot became caught between the tug's frame and left rear tire. The tug circled around the left wing tip of the airplane and it struck the left engine nacelle. The tug operator's foot became wedged between the tug and the airplane's stairs, resulting in a sprained left ankle and a few minor lacerations. The airplane sustained minor damage to the left engine nacelle and one propeller blade. According to the FAA, the tug operator's training records did not reflect the tug operator's qualifications to operate ground equipment, including the gas powered Kubota tug involved in this incident.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 2,150 in this make and model; 259 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days; 1,450 as pilot in command; 488 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 17,120 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6a-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO at 2:35 am
- Destination: MCK Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 130 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from KDEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 13 |
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.