19970605016589I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Boeing 747-243B · Miami, FL · June 5, 1997

Date
June 5, 1997 · 12:10 local
Place
Miami, FL
Airport
Miami International
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
UIEA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N517MC
Reported as
Boeing 747243B
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,600 total1,054 in this make and model20 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 06/05/97, at 1210, the Miami FSDO received a call from the command center concerning an aircraft accident/incident on Miami International Airport. Two FSDO 19 inspectors responded to the call and located the subject aircraft at the atlas air cargo terminal at approximately 1310. The aircraft was being downloaded at that time. An examination of the aircraft was conducted for damage. The nose cowl and the outboard bypass door for the #1 engine were found damaged. An attempt was made to interview the crew, however they had been sent for mandatory company drug and alcohol testing as required by company procedures. Management officials for the company told us that reports and interviews, if required would be forthcoming from the crew as soon as they were available. The crew that was operating the aircraft was: capt harold sturdevant, f.o. henry w hudson f.e. walter pioli the aircraft involved was a Boeing 747F, N517MC, operated by atlas air, for china air. The flight originated at chicago, in transit through Miami, destined for anchorage, AK. On 06/06/97, the crew was interviewed by two FSDO inspectors. On this second leg, the aircraft received taxi instructions, cleared to taxi to 09R via taxiways r to s and hold short of t. the crew was told to monitor tower frequency. After completing the turn onto r, and clearing construction on the aircraft's right, the crew saw a tug with baggage carts on the left side of the aircraft. The crew observed the driver giving the clearance to continue taxi via hand signals. The engine appeared to be directly over the taxi edge markings, and the tug appeared to be well outside the edge markings. Immediately after the driver gave them the clear signal, the crew noticed a commuter aircraft turn off onto t, face the aircraft momentarily and then it turned back to opposite direction for taxi. The crew then checked the left side for clearance and verified clear of all obstacles. The aircraft continued taxi onto s, where tower told the aircraft to contact ground. Ground advised them of a problem with #1 engine. The crew shut down #1 and returned to the cargo terminal. The crew did not feel any contact with the tug and was not aware of the incident until they returned to the gate and spoke with ground personnel.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON 06/05/97, AT 1210, THE MIAMI FSDO RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE COMMAND CENTER CONCERNING AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT/INCIDENT ON MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. TWO FSDO 19 INSPECTORS RESPONDED TO THE CALL AND LOCATED THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT AT THE ATLAS AIR CARGO TERMINAL AT APPROXIMATELY 1310. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING DOWNLOADED AT THAT TIME. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTED FOR DAMAGE. THE NOSE COWL AND THE OUTBOARD BYPASS DOOR FOR THE #1 ENGINE WERE FOUND DAMAGED. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO INTERVIEW THE CREW, HOWEVER THEY HAD BEEN SENT FOR MANDATORY COMPANY DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING AS REQUIRED BY COMPANY PROCEDURES. MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS FOR THE COMPANY TOLD US THAT REPORTS AND INTERVIEWS, IF REQUIRED WOULD BE FORTHCOMING FROM THE CREW AS SOON AS THEY WERE AVAILABLE. THE CREW THAT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT WAS: CAPT HAROLD STURDEVANT, F.O. HENRY W HUDSON F.E. WALTER PIOLI THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED WAS A BOEING 747F, N517MC, OPERATED BY ATLAS AIR, FOR CHINA AIR. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT CHICAGO, IN TRANSIT THROUGH MIAMI, DESTINED FOR ANCHORAGE, AK. ON 06/06/97, THE CREW WAS INTERVIEWED BY TWO FSDO INSPECTORS. ON THIS SECOND LEG, THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, CLEARED TO TAXI TO 09R VIA TAXIWAYS R TO S AND HOLD SHORT OF T. THE CREW WAS TOLD TO MONITOR TOWER FREQUENCY. AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN ONTO R, AND CLEARING CONSTRUCTION ON THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT, THE CREW SAW A TUG WITH BAGGAGE CARTS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW OBSERVED THE DRIVER GIVING THE CLEARANCE TO CONTINUE TAXI VIA HAND SIGNALS. THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE DIRECTLY OVER THE TAXI EDGE MARKINGS, AND THE TUG APPEARED TO BE WELL OUTSIDE THE EDGE MARKINGS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DRIVER GAVE THEM THE CLEAR SIGNAL, THE CREW NOTICED A COMMUTER AIRCRAFT TURN OFF ONTO T, FACE THE AIRCRAFT MOMENTARILY AND THEN IT TURNED BACK TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION FOR TAXI. THE CREW THEN CHECKED THE LEFT SIDE FOR CLEARANCE AND VERIFIED CLEAR OF ALL OBSTACLES. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TAXI ONTO S, WHERE TOWER TOLD THE AIRCRAFT TO CONTACT GROUND. GROUND ADVISED THEM OF A PROBLEM WITH #1 ENGINE. THE CREW SHUT DOWN #1 AND RETURNED TO THE CARGO TERMINAL. THE CREW DID NOT FEEL ANY CONTACT WITH THE TUG AND WAS NOT AWARE OF THE INCIDENT UNTIL THEY RETURNED TO THE GATE AND SPOKE WITH GROUND PERSONNEL.