Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 accident near Covington, Kentucky, October 11, 1998
On October 11, 1998 at about 10:54 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88, registered N997DL, 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). No one was hurt; 121 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The tug driver's failure to maintain a proper visual lookout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1998 · about 10:54 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Kentucky · Cincinnati/North Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 121 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88
- Registration
- N997DL · registry record · serial 53364
- 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 pushed back from the gate and started to taxi, when the crew saw a baggage tug traveling at a fairly high rate of speed approaching from the right side of the airplane. With the tug driver looking to his right and nowhere else, and without ever slowing down or turning the tug impacted the right side of the airplane causing substantial damage. Two months prior to the accident the tug driver received a total of 30 hours of training. Topics for the training were, ramp and operation self directed training, dangerous goods handling, basic ramp procedures, and driver training.
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: 10,000 hours in all; 2,225 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,620 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 12, 1998; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 149,500 lb
- Seats: 149
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CVG
- Destination: CLE Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from CVG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 114 |
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.