Fokker F-100 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1998
On March 12, 1998 at about 2:15 am local time, a Fokker F-100, registered N863US, was substantially damaged in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 87 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The driver's failure to maintain clearance from the parked airplane. Related factors were night conditions and the driver's diverted attention.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 1998 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 87 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fokker F-100
- Registration
- N863US · no longer on the register · serial 11303
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After the airplane was pushed back from the gate at night, a fuel truck travelling eastbound on the outer service road struck the left wing tip of the airplane, that overhung the outer service road. The fuel truck driver said that he saw the airplane was pushed off the gate and shortly thereafter he noticed the ground crew were in the process of unhooking from the airplane. He saw the road was clear, and then he saw the tug swinging wide onto the service road, and coming towards him. He said, '...I diverted my attention to the tug driver...In a split second as I made gesture to look back and then look back up I was struck in the head... .' The investigation revealed that US Airways had conducted a two man push back in accordance with their ground procedures manual. The US Airways ground procedures manual did not require a safety person with illuminated wands to be present at the service road when a portion of the airplane covered the service road. The Fokker F-100 was not equipped with rear side wing tip lights.
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: 21,717 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,535 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 10, 1998; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 98,500 lb
- Seats: 103
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce TAY-650-15 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHL
- Destination: ORF Norfolk VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from PHL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 83 |
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.