Canadair CL600-2B19 accident near Covington, Kentucky, March 10, 1998
On March 10, 1998 at about 4:45 am local time, a Canadair CL600-2B19, registered N937CA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Covington, Kentucky (Cincinnati/North Kentucky airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 15 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The driver's operation of a ground vehicle at night with an inoperative windshield wiper and an obscured windscreen against company regulations which resulted in a collision with a parked aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1998 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Covington, Kentucky · Cincinnati/North Kentucky
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 15 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL600-2B19 · all CL600-2B19s on the register
- Registration
- N937CA · registry record · serial 7044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was standing second in line to be de-iced with position and anti-collision lights illuminated, when it was struck from behind by a baggage tug. The tug impacted the trailing edge of the left wing in the vicinity of the left wing tip. The tug driver said he completed two trips past the de-ice pad prior to the collision. Each time the tug was sprayed with de-ice solution (glycol), obscuring the windshield. When the driver attempted to clear his view with the windshield wiper after the first trip, the wiper broke off. He said, 'I couldn't see anything because of the glycol...I was on the ramp road. I couldn't see out the tug [and] never seen the aircraft. I ran into the wing.' Examination of the tug by airport police and company mechanics revealed the wiper was no longer installed. The lights and brakes were operational. According to a company training manual, 'Never operate ground service equipment that is not functioning properly or in need of repair. Immediately report any vehicle in this condition to a supervisor so that corrective action can be taken.'
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 168 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,862 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 9, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 49,161 lb
- Seats: 53
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF-34 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CVG
- Destination: TYS Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft; clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 am from CVG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.