Amateur-built DHC-8-202 incident near Denver, Colorado, May 30, 2005
On May 30, 2005 at about 2:47 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-8-202, registered N454YV, was involved in an incident near Denver, Colorado (Denver Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 40 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper procedures conducted by the ground personnel and the flight crew's failure to coordinate procedures with the ground personnel during push back operation which resulted in the collision between the ground support vehicle and the airplane. A contributing factor was the inadequate communication between the flight crew and ground crew during the push back operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2005 · about 2:47 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Denver Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 40 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-8-202
- Registration
- N454YV · no longer on the register · serial 454
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial pushback, the trainee operating the ground support vehicle, turned the aircraft in the wrong direction, at which time, the supervisor took over control of the vehicle. During the supervisor's attempt to turn the aircraft around, the nose wheels rolled out of the vehicle's wheel cradle and up onto the ground support vehicle. An employee reported she overheard one of the flight crewmembers report to dispatch that the ground personnel was making a sharp turn and the crewmember thought the airplane was going to be pushed back into another airplane. The company which provided the ground support personnel stated the push back operation should have come to a stop and communication should have been conducted between the flight crew and ground crew to resolve all concerns about safe maneuvers.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,900 hours in all; 1,186 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: 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: 3,550 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 36,500 lb
- Seats: 40
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PW123D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO at 2:47 pm
- Destination: GUC Gunnison CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from DEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 37 |
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.