19970327023269A

Accident

FAA accident report · Lkheed 10113853 · New York, NY · March 27, 1997

Date
March 27, 1997 · 18:40 local
Place
New York, NY
Airport
John F Kennedy International
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
DALA
Aircraft
N762DA
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC97LA064
Reported as
Lkheed 10113853
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce RB21122*
People aboard
202
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
18,300 total1,622 in this make and model173 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.

(.4)The L-1011 was pushed back from the gate by a groundcrew of 3 employees. The tug operator was seated facing the airplane, while wing walkers were placed at the left and right wing tips. The tug operator then looked over his right shoulder to pull the airplane forward, to align it with the center line of the taxiway. During this movement, he maintained visual contact with the left wing walker. When the forward motion was initiated, the left and right wing walkers started to converge towards the tow bar, anticipating the disconnect of the airplane when it stopped. The left wing walker observed the right wing walker, the designated dispatch agent (da) for the flight, approach the tow bar. The left wing walker glanced at the left wing tip, and when his vision returned to the tow bar, the right wing walker was under the nose wheel of the airplane with the tug operator's headset cord. The delta ground operations manual 10-043 (gom), did not specify where members of the pushback crew should be positioned during the pushback to ensure safety. The gom also did not discuss any potential hazards associated with aircraft movement and engine operation. The da, usually one of the two wing walkers, was expected to remain in view of the tug driver and in view of the flight crew during pushback maneuver. Also, the da was required to monitor the pushback, and 'be prepared to act on any signals form the wing walkers.' The company published new procedures as a result of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE L-1011 WAS PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE BY A GROUNDCREW OF 3 EMPLOYEES. THE TUG OPERATOR WAS SEATED FACING THE AIRPLANE, WHILE WING WALKERS WERE PLACED AT THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING TIPS. THE TUG OPERATOR THEN LOOKED OVER HIS RIGHT SHOULDER TO PULL THE AIRPLANE FORWARD, TO ALIGN IT WITH THE CENTER LINE OF THE TAXIWAY. DURING THIS MOVEMENT, HE MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE LEFT WING WALKER. WHEN THE FORWARD MOTION WAS INITIATED, THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING WALKERS STARTED TO CONVERGE TOWARDS THE TOW BAR, ANTICIPATING THE DISCONNECT OF THE AIRPLANE WHEN IT STOPPED. THE LEFT WING WALKER OBSERVED THE RIGHT WING WALKER, THE DESIGNATED DISPATCH AGENT (DA) FOR THE FLIGHT, APPROACH THE TOW BAR. THE LEFT WING WALKER GLANCED AT THE LEFT WING TIP, AND WHEN HIS VISION RETURNED TO THE TOW BAR, THE RIGHT WING WALKER WAS UNDER THE NOSE WHEEL OF THE AIRPLANE WITH THE TUG OPERATOR'S HEADSET CORD. THE DELTA GROUND OPERATIONS MANUAL 10-043 (GOM), DID NOT SPECIFY WHERE MEMBERS OF THE PUSHBACK CREW SHOULD BE POSITIONED DURING THE PUSHBACK TO ENSURE SAFETY. THE GOM ALSO DID NOT DISCUSS ANY POTENTIAL HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT AND ENGINE OPERATION. THE DA, USUALLY ONE OF THE TWO WING WALKERS, WAS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN VIEW OF THE TUG DRIVER AND IN VIEW OF THE FLIGHT CREW DURING PUSHBACK MANEUVER. ALSO, THE DA WAS REQUIRED TO MONITOR THE PUSHBACK, AND 'BE PREPARED TO ACT ON ANY SIGNALS FORM THE WING WALKERS.' THE COMPANY PUBLISHED NEW PROCEDURES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

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