Embraer EMB-120ER incident near Salt Lake City, Utah, February 21, 2009
On February 21, 2009 at about 6:12 pm local time, a Embraer EMB-120ER, registered N270YV, suffered minor damage in an incident during taxi near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City Int. Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's failure to maintain clearance from the stationary vehicle while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 2009 · about 6:12 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake City Int. Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB-120ER · all EMB-120ERs on the register
- Registration
- N270YV · no longer on the register · serial 120.270
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While taxiing on the ramp to their assigned terminal gate, the flight crew observed a stationary fuel truck parked to the right of their position. In order to ensure clearance, the captain positioned the airplane left of the taxiway centerline by 4 feet while the first officer monitored the clearance between the right wingtip and fuel truck. Subsequently, the right wing struck the fuel truck. The first officer stated that due to sun glare on the wing and fuel truck, he had a hard time judging the clearance between the wingtip and fuel truck. The wingtip damage was evaluated as minor.
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
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Flight crew
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,711 hours in all; 2,547 in this make and model; 184 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 917 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 9, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,891 hours in all; 343 in this make and model; 92 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 11, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35,851 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 17, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 26,433 lb
- Seats: 30
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PW118 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PW118; 0 hours total
- Operator: Skywest Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: EKO Elko NV at 4:51 pm
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SLC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | |||
| Flig | 3 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR09IA123.