Canadair CL600 accident near Burbank, California, September 8, 1994
On September 8, 1994 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Canadair CL600, registered N403SW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burbank, California (Burbank airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 36 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the ground crew's failure to follow company procedures. The failure of the operator to provide headsets to communicate with the flightcrew and the poor lighting conditions were factors in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1994 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Burbank, California · Burbank · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 36 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL600 · all CL600s on the register
- Registration
- N403SW · registry record · serial 7028
- 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 GROUND CREW WERE NOT USING HEADSETS WHILE PUSHING BACK THE AIRPLANE. THE GROUND CREW DID NOT FOLLOW COMPANY PROCEDURES AND DISCONNECTED THE TOW BAR WITHOUT RECEIVING AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT FROM THE FLIGHT CREW. THE GROUND CREW DID UTILIZE HAND SIGNAL PROCEDURES TWICE, BUT WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE CAPTAIN'S RESPONSE DUE TO THE POOR LIGHTING CONDITIONS. THE FLIGHT CREW WAS STARTING THE ENGINES AND DID NOT SEE NOR ACKNOWLEDGE THE PARKING BRAKE SIGNAL. THEY WERE NOT AWARE THAT THE GROUND CREW DISCONNECTED THE TOW BAR. MOMENTS LATER, THE JET ROLLED FORWARD AND STRUCK THE TUG.
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: 10,482 hours in all; 92 in this make and model; 92 in the last 90 days; 83 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,463 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 22, 1994; 109 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 51,000 lb
- Seats: 53
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF34 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skywest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: BUR
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from BUR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 33 |
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.