Embraer EMB-135BJ accident near Cleveland, Ohio, November 29, 2004
On November 29, 2004 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Embraer EMB-135BJ, registered N995CW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland-Hopkins Int. airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 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 pilot in command's improper decision to continue taxi without a ground marshaller, and her misjudged clearance from a parked airplane, which resulted in a ground collision during taxi. Factors which contributed to the accident were fatigue, night conditions, and a lack of ramp markings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2004 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cleveland-Hopkins Int. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB-135BJ · all EMB-135BJs on the register
- Registration
- N995CW · no longer on the register · serial 145495
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
With the co-pilot steering the airplane from the left seat at night, the airplane taxied to a ramp area. Another airplane had been parked perpendicular to the ramp entrance with its nose wheel approximately 30 feet from the front of a hangar, and with its tail approximately 45 feet from the edge of the ramp pavement. Per their standard operating procedures, the flight crew waited for a marshaller to assist with parking. When one did not arrive, the flight crew decided to taxi behind the parked airplane. As the pilot attempted to verbally direct the co-pilot and observe the position of the right wingtip, the airplanes right winglet collided with the parked airplane. At the time of the accident the pilot had been awake since 0300. The marked centerline of the taxiway that led into the ramp area, was located 18 feet 5 inches from left side of the taxiway, but stopped short of the ramp area approximately 93 feet prior to where the accident took place. No non-movement area boundary markings were noted. The ramp had been repaved with asphalt approximately 36 days prior to the accident, and no markings existed to provide a visual cue to permit taxiing along a designated path, nor were any edge markings or edge lighting installed, to define the edge of the usable pavement.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 655 in this make and model; 192 in the last 90 days; 64 in the last 30 days; 3,770 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 30, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,950 hours in all; 188 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 3,280 as pilot in command; 717 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 16, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,469.1 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 20, 2004; 23.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 49,097 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce AE3007AIP (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce AE3007AIP (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Options LLC
The flight
- Departed from: IAD Dulles VA
- Destination: CLE Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 am from CLE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 IAD05CA019.