Embraer ERJ190 incident near Denver, Colorado, December 31, 2010
On December 31, 2010 at about 8:34 pm local time, a Embraer ERJ190, registered CFHKA, was involved in an incident during taxi (into takeoff position) near Denver, Colorado (Denver Intrenational Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The driver of the operation vehicle's misidentification of the runway for an adjacent taxiway, resulting in a runway incursion with an aircraft in position for takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2010 · about 8:34 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Denver Intrenational Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Embraer ERJ190 100IGW · all ERJ190s on the register
- Registration
- CFHKA · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A runway incursion occurred when an aviation operations vehicle, operated as the lead vehicle for a snow removal team, entered an active runway without clearance as the airplane was about to begin its takeoff roll. The airplane's crew noticed the headlights of the vehicle approaching on the runway and did not initiate their takeoff roll. The tower controller was not aware of the vehicle on the runway until advised by the airplane's crew. The airport was equipped with ASDE-X, which did not alert of the runway incursion due to the slow closure rate of the vehicle to the stationary aircraft. Postincident investigation revealed that the driver of the operations vehicle misidentified the runway for an adjacent taxiway.
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
What happened, in order
- Runway incursion veh/AC/person during taxi (into takeoff position) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Airport personnel
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Air Canada
The flight
- Departed from: KDEN Denver CO at 8:30 pm
- Destination: CYUL Montreal-Trudea
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34R, 12,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,200 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KDEN
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.