Beech 1900D incident near Telluride, Colorado, November 23, 2005
On November 23, 2005 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N253GL, suffered minor damage in an incident near Telluride, Colorado (Telluride Regional Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 19 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 adequate clearance from the airplane resulting in the baggage cart striking the airplane's stabilon. A factor contributing to the incident was the tug driver's failure to consider the extra height of the cart in relation to the other carts used on the airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2005 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Telluride, Colorado · Telluride Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Incident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 19 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N253GL · registry record · serial UE253
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was parked with the engines shut down, the parking brake set, and the wheels chocked. The captain said that they kept the passengers on board until some of the bags were off loaded from the aft baggage compartment so as not to overload the landing gear struts. The captain said that they opened the door and he got off to meet the agent. The agent approached the airplane driving a tug that was pulling a baggage cart. The captain said, "While turning the corner to line up the baggage cart with the airplane, the baggage cart struck and damaged the left-hand stabilon." The baggage cart that was used was new and taller than those previously used at the airport. This was the first time the agent had pulled this cart. The agent said he drove clockwise around the airplane to position the cart to unload the baggage. He said that he was close enough to the airplane that the top right corner of the baggage cart hit the stabilon.
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: 7,035 hours in all; 6,495 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 990 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,524 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 17,230 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO
- Destination: TEX Telluride CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 5:30 am from TEX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 17 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N253GL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.