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19970118007429I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Boeing 747* · Los Angeles, CA · January 18, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 18, 1997 · 20:50 local
Place
Los Angeles, CA
Airport
Los Angeles International
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
Foreign air carrier (Part 129)
Operator
ANZF
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
ZKNBU
Reported as
Boeing 747*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
20,114 total3,620 in this make and model131 in the last 90 days

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.

Narrative: on January 18, 1997, at approximately 8:45 pm, air new zealand flight 19, a B-747-400, struck the right wingtip of a Continental airlines Boeing 747 (N17025), during taxi operations. Continental flight 76 arriving from honolulu, had taxied to gate 69A. According to Continental airlines standard procedures, B-757 and all widebody aircraft are required to be towed into gate 69A. Taxi guidance and stopping lights at the gate were inoperative and the aircraft was stopped approximately 20 feet short of the designated parking point. While a towing vehicle was attached to the aircraft, the plane's tail and right wing were protruding onto the "charlie" taxiway air traffic control was not advised by the flight crew that their aircraft was extending onto the movement area, however, according to operating procedures, the rotating beacon remained on, indicating the aircraft had not completed its taxi into the gate. Air new zealand flight 19 had been issued a clearance to taxi to runway 25R via the "charlie" taxiway. The new zealand jet was being taxied on the centerline of the taxiway by the first officer, at a speed of 16 nautical miles per hour. New zealand 19 passed gate 69A during the time that the tow vehicle was being attached to the Continental 747. New zealand's left winglet struck the rear of the Continental's right wingtip. A portion of the winglet was embedded in Continental's wing. The captain of the Continental jet was advised of the collision and contacted ground control. Air new zealand 19 was informed of the collision and taxied back to the gate. Air new zealand elected to remove both winglets and returned the aircraft to service until further repairs could be affected. Continental repaired the damage to the right wingtip and the aircraft was returned to service on January 19, 1997. The air new zealand flight crew misjudged the clearance with the Continental B-747 and assumed that their aircraft would clear all obstacles if taxied on the centerline of taxiway "charlie". The crew had just completed 24 hours of rest and was given an additional 24 hours of rest prior to being returned to duty.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JANUARY 18, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:45 PM, AIR NEW ZEALAND FLIGHT 19, A B-747-400, STRUCK THE RIGHT WINGTIP OF A CONTINENTAL AIRLINES BOEING 747 (N17025), DURING TAXI OPERATIONS. CONTINENTAL FLIGHT 76 ARRIVING FROM HONOLULU, HAD TAXIED TO GATE 69A. ACCORDING TO CONTINENTAL AIRLINES STANDARD PROCEDURES, B-757 AND ALL WIDEBODY AIRCRAFT ARE REQUIRED TO BE TOWED INTO GATE 69A. TAXI GUIDANCE AND STOPPING LIGHTS AT THE GATE WERE INOPERATIVE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS STOPPED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET SHORT OF THE DESIGNATED PARKING POINT. WHILE A TOWING VEHICLE WAS ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT, THE PLANE'S TAIL AND RIGHT WING WERE PROTRUDING ONTO THE "CHARLIE" TAXIWAY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL WAS NOT ADVISED BY THE FLIGHT CREW THAT THEIR AIRCRAFT WAS EXTENDING ONTO THE MOVEMENT AREA, HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO OPERATING PROCEDURES, THE ROTATING BEACON REMAINED ON, INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT COMPLETED ITS TAXI INTO THE GATE. AIR NEW ZEALAND FLIGHT 19 HAD BEEN ISSUED A CLEARANCE TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 25R VIA THE "CHARLIE" TAXIWAY. THE NEW ZEALAND JET WAS BEING TAXIED ON THE CENTERLINE OF THE TAXIWAY BY THE FIRST OFFICER, AT A SPEED OF 16 NAUTICAL MILES PER HOUR. NEW ZEALAND 19 PASSED GATE 69A DURING THE TIME THAT THE TOW VEHICLE WAS BEING ATTACHED TO THE CONTINENTAL 747. NEW ZEALAND'S LEFT WINGLET STRUCK THE REAR OF THE CONTINENTAL'S RIGHT WINGTIP. A PORTION OF THE WINGLET WAS EMBEDDED IN CONTINENTAL'S WING. THE CAPTAIN OF THE CONTINENTAL JET WAS ADVISED OF THE COLLISION AND CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL. AIR NEW ZEALAND 19 WAS INFORMED OF THE COLLISION AND TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. AIR NEW ZEALAND ELECTED TO REMOVE BOTH WINGLETS AND RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE UNTIL FURTHER REPAIRS COULD BE AFFECTED. CONTINENTAL REPAIRED THE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WINGTIP AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE ON JANUARY 19, 1997. THE AIR NEW ZEALAND FLIGHT CREW MISJUDGED THE CLEARANCE WITH THE CONTINENTAL B-747 AND ASSUMED THAT THEIR AIRCRAFT WOULD CLEAR ALL OBSTACLES IF TAXIED ON THE CENTERLINE OF TAXIWAY "CHARLIE". THE CREW HAD JUST COMPLETED 24 HOURS OF REST AND WAS GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL 24 HOURS OF REST PRIOR TO BEING RETURNED TO DUTY.