Cessna 208B N732MD accident near Chicago, Illinois

Probable cause

The gate agent’s premature removal of the tailstand without confirming with the flight crew that it was safe to remove, which allowed the airplane to tilt backward when a passenger stood up and stepped toward the back of the airplane.

NTSB analysis

After the airplane was boarded, the gate agent removed the tailstand from the airplane without communicating with the flight crew. A passenger in row 3 then stood up to hand a carry-on bag to the second-in-command, who was standing in the doorway, for stowage in the cargo compartment. As the passenger stood up and stepped toward the back of the airplane, the airplane tilted backward, and its tail struck the tarmac, which resulted in substantial damage. The gate agent's premature removal of the tailstand allowed the airplane to tilt backward when the passenger stood up and stepped toward the back of the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA421 for the full record.