Douglas DC-9-30 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 2, 1998
On September 2, 1998 at about 10:05 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9-30, registered N927VJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Intl Arpt airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 86 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the fuel truck driver to follow airport operating procedures, and yield the right-of-way to the airplane. Factors were the stopped airplane, which obscured the fuel truck from the approaching airplane and the approaching airplane from the fuel truck, and the lack of visual aids on the vehicle to help compensate for restricted driver visibility to the right.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1998 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia Intl Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 86 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9-30 · all DC-9-30s on the register
- Registration
- N927VJ · no longer on the register · serial 48154
- 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 DC-9-30 cleared the runway and was taxiing into an alleyway entrance between terminal concourses, when it's left wing struck a fuel truck that was traveling on a service road. The fuel truck, traveling from left to right, came from behind a stopped airplane. The fuel truck was about 150 feet beyond the vehicle stop sign. The airplane's left main landing gear tire left skid marks 47 feet in length on the ramp. The fuel truck driver reported he had stopped at the stop sign prior to crossing the alleyway entrance. The stop sign only required a stop if aircraft were present. In addition, drivers were taught that airplanes had the right of way over vehicles. The fuel truck driver's visibility to the right was restricted by equipment on the truck and the stopped airplane. The pilot's visibility to the left was restricted by the stopped airplane. When the fuel truck appeared from behind the stopped airplane, the fuel truck driver observed the airplane, stopped, and was attempting to back out of the way when he was struck by the airplane.
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: 19,500 hours in all; 12,400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40,700 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 28, 1998; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 105,000 lb
- Seats: 106
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YOW Ottawa at 8:41 pm
- Destination: PHL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from PHL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 81 |
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.