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19960606045452A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Boeing 767-223 · San Francisco, CA · June 6, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 6, 1996 · 22:05 local
Place
San Francisco, CA
Airport
San Francisco International
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
AALA
Collision
Midair collision, second aircraft
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N335AA
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX96LA222
Reported as
Boeing 767223
Reported engine
GE CF680A
People aboard
165
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
25,000 total2,942 in this make and model
N335AARegistration cancelled Dec 9, 2015 · Boeing 767-223S/N 22333 · Built 1987Airframe modelBoeing 767-223Engine modelGE CF6-80 seriesTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)At night, a tail-to-tail ground collision occurred in an alleyway between an outbound united Boeing 737, N371UA, and an outbound American Boeing 767, N335AA. At the time, the B-737 was under tug control while being pushed back without the aid of wing walkers from gate number 77. The united B-767 was beginning to taxi from the same alleyway following its earlier uneventful pushback with the aid of wing walkers from gate number 63. According to the B-737'S tug driver, during pushback she had observed a nearby food service truck and had initially slowed her speed to ensure its passage. Thereafter, she continued pushing the B-737 toward the designed alleyway location. Suddenly, an impact occurred and the tug driver for the first time observed an American B-767 was already located in the alleyway. United management reported that during pushback operations it was the tug driver's responsibility to ensure that adequate clearance existed. Nine months earlier united management was aware that aircraft utilizing its gate number 77 did not have the minimum 25-foot aircraft wing tip clearance as required by the city of San Francisco. City personnel agreed to allow united gate usage p rovided united 'guarantee the use of wing walkers'.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)AT NIGHT, A TAIL-TO-TAIL GROUND COLLISION OCCURRED IN AN ALLEYWAY BETWEEN AN OUTBOUND UNITED BOEING 737, N371UA, AND AN OUTBOUND AMERICAN BOEING 767, N335AA. AT THE TIME, THE B-737 WAS UNDER TUG CONTROL WHILE BEING PUSHED BACK WITHOUT THE AID OF WING WALKERS FROM GATE NUMBER 77. THE UNITED B-767 WAS BEGINNING TO TAXI FROM THE SAME ALLEYWAY FOLLOWING ITS EARLIER UNEVENTFUL PUSHBACK WITH THE AID OF WING WALKERS FROM GATE NUMBER 63. ACCORDING TO THE B-737'S TUG DRIVER, DURING PUSHBACK SHE HAD OBSERVED A NEARBY FOOD SERVICE TRUCK AND HAD INITIALLY SLOWED HER SPEED TO ENSURE ITS PASSAGE. THEREAFTER, SHE CONTINUED PUSHING THE B-737 TOWARD THE DESIGNED ALLEYWAY LOCATION. SUDDENLY, AN IMPACT OCCURRED AND THE TUG DRIVER FOR THE FIRST TIME OBSERVED AN AMERICAN B-767 WAS ALREADY LOCATED IN THE ALLEYWAY. UNITED MANAGEMENT REPORTED THAT DURING PUSHBACK OPERATIONS IT WAS THE TUG DRIVER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE CLEARANCE EXISTED. NINE MONTHS EARLIER UNITED MANAGEMENT WAS AWARE THAT AIRCRAFT UTILIZING ITS GATE NUMBER 77 DID NOT HAVE THE MINIMUM 25-FOOT AIRCRAFT WING TIP CLEARANCE AS REQUIRED BY THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO. CITY PERSONNEL AGREED TO ALLOW UNITED GATE USAGE P ROVIDED UNITED 'GUARANTEE THE USE OF WING WALKERS'.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX96LA222Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Francisco, CAinadequate visual lookout by the United Airlines tug driver during the pushback operation. Contributing factors were: the driver's reduced ability to observe the American B-767 due to the nighttime condition, and United Airlines management's failure to ensure…Jun 7, 1996 · 2 aircraft · Minor damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N371UABoeing 737322Accident 19960606045451A · Substantial damage

Other reports on N335AA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19980722046529AClimb · Peotone, IL(.4) Moderate turbulence was encountered as the airplane climbed through FL180 while in the clouds. There were no weather returns indicating turbulence nor were there any reports of turbulence from ATC or other airplanes. One flight attendant who was in the…Jul 22, 1998