North Carolina, United States: A corporate business jet collided with a box truck while taxiing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon, temporarily shutting down the airport’s airfield, disrupting flight operations and prompting an investigation by federal authorities.
The incident occurred on Taxiway C at approximately 2 p.m. local time on July 1, according to airport officials. The aircraft involved has been identified as a Nicholas Air Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 business jet, registered as N356N and operating as JTZ356, aviation records show.
Airport officials confirmed that two occupants aboard the aircraft and the lone driver of the box truck escaped without injuries.
Images from the scene showed the aircraft sustaining significant damage to its nose section, while emergency responders quickly secured the area following the collision. The damaged aircraft was later moved into a hangar as investigators began examining the incident.
The accident forced RDU to close its airfield for nearly an hour, halting arriving and departing traffic before operations resumed at around 2:30 p.m. Airport spokesperson Stephanie Hawco confirmed that the airfield was reopened after emergency crews cleared the taxiway and determined it was safe to resume operations.
Although the closure was brief, it caused widespread disruption across the airport’s flight schedule.
According to airport officials and flight tracking data, between 15 and 20 flights were diverted or delayed. Several inbound aircraft were rerouted to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, while others diverted to Greensboro and Washington Dulles International Airport. A Copa Airlines service originally bound for Raleigh was among the flights diverted to Dulles. Charlotte Douglas Airport later confirmed that six diverted aircraft were expected to refuel before returning to RDU.
The disruption also affected departing passengers. A scheduled international flight to Germany departed approximately three hours late, while travelers reported extended waits as the temporary closure created a ripple effect across the airport’s operations. One passenger told WRAL that he considered driving to Greensboro after his daughter’s incoming flight was diverted but was later informed that the aircraft would eventually return to Raleigh.
During the same period, airport officials also handled an unrelated event involving an incoming aircraft that reported a possible mechanical issue. The aircraft landed safely and was not connected to the taxiway collision.
Flight instructor Steve Welsh told WRAL that aircraft generally have the right of way on taxiways and noted that business jets possess significant blind spots, making strict coordination between aircraft and ground vehicles essential. “In incidents where a vehicle hits an aircraft, the aircraft always has the right of way,” Welsh said, adding that vehicles approaching from the side may not become visible to pilots until they are very close to the aircraft.
RDU later issued a statement confirming normal operations had resumed. “RDU closed the airfield briefly earlier this afternoon after a general aviation aircraft and a box truck collided on a taxiway. There were no injuries, and the airfield has reopened to arriving and departing flights.”
Videos shared by witnesses on social media showed emergency vehicles surrounding the damaged aircraft while airport operations remained suspended during the response.
According to airport statistics, Raleigh-Durham International Airport handles approximately 360 daily arrivals and departures served by 17 airlines. The airport recorded 5.6 million passengers in 2025, marking its busiest year on record.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the collision. Authorities have not yet determined the cause, and it remains unclear whether the incident resulted from pilot actions, vehicle operations, airport procedures or another contributing factor.
