Probable cause
The Boeing 747 first officer’s failure to maintain clearance from another airplane while taxiing due to his inadequate judgment of the distance between the airplanes.
NTSB analysis
A regional jet was waiting to be marshaled into a gate. A Boeing 747 taxied behind it and the 747's right winglet contacted the regional jet's horizontal stabilizer, causing substantial damage. The first officer of the 747 thought that he had sufficient clearance to taxi by the regional jet. The first officer reported that the flight was his first out of that airport.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11LA099 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Dec 5, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois
- Nearest airport
- Chicago O'Hare Iap (ORD)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Night
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.