What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The airplane struck a crane that was next to the taxiway, in a taxiway safety area. The first officer watched the right wing pass over a flatbed truck, several feet outboard the 'number four' engine nacelle. He thought the wing would also clear the crane, which was outboard and past the truck. The airplane continued taxiing, and the right wing struck the crane, causing damage to that wing, and causing the crane to topple over, and eject the occupant. The only conversation between the crewmembers during the 46 seconds prior to the accident, was a 'right side clear' callout by the first officer. The crane had been located in the taxiway safety area by subcontractor personnel, who took it upon themselves to remove safety barriers. There were no supervisory safety personnel at the accident site. (-23)asiana airlines flight 2923 landed at 1036 local time at jfk on rwy 4R, and was instructed to hold short of "yankee". The lfight crew was then cleared by local control to cross "yankee", continue via "echo", then right turn on "charlie", the contact ground control. Ground control cleared the asiana Boeing B-747-400, to taxi via "echo" and "charlie" to "whiskey" enro ute to its destination at the asiana cargo ramp. Soon after the right turn on to taxiway "whiskey", the aircraft collided with a construction crane unloading a flat bed truck at the right edge of the taxiway. The impact toppled the crane over ejecting the occupant to the ground. The crane operator was unconscious at the scene and transported to the hospital for treatment. The aircraft sustained damage to the leading edge of the right wing from the wing tip in-board for approximately five feet, penetrating the dry bay of the fuel cell area. The damage also trailed back approximately three feet at the wing tip along the base of the winglet.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A CRANE THAT WAS NEXT TO THE TAXIWAY, IN A TAXIWAY SAFETY AREA. THE FIRST OFFICER WATCHED THE RIGHT WING PASS OVER A FLATBED TRUCK, SEVERAL FEET OUTBOARD THE 'NUMBER FOUR' ENGINE NACELLE. HE THOUGHT THE WING WOULD ALSO CLEAR THE CRANE, WHICH WAS OUTBOARD AND PAST THE TRUCK. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TAXIING, AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE CRANE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THAT WING, AND CAUSING THE CRANE TO TOPPLE OVER, AND EJECT THE OCCUPANT. THE ONLY CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE CREWMEMBERS DURING THE 46 SECONDS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WAS A 'RIGHT SIDE CLEAR' CALLOUT BY THE FIRST OFFICER. THE CRANE HAD BEEN LOCATED IN THE TAXIWAY SAFETY AREA BY SUBCONTRACTOR PERSONNEL, WHO TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO REMOVE SAFETY BARRIERS. THERE WERE NO SUPERVISORY SAFETY PERSONNEL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. (-23)ASIANA AIRLINES FLIGHT 2923 LANDED AT 1036 LOCAL TIME AT JFK ON RWY 4R, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF "YANKEE". THE LFIGHT CREW WAS THEN CLEARED BY LOCAL CONTROL TO CROSS "YANKEE", CONTINUE VIA "ECHO", THEN RIGHT TURN ON "CHARLIE", THE CONTACT GROUND CONTROL. GROUND CONTROL CLEARED THE ASIANA BOEING B-747-400, TO TAXI VIA "ECHO" AND "CHARLIE" TO "WHISKEY" ENRO UTE TO ITS DESTINATION AT THE ASIANA CARGO RAMP. SOON AFTER THE RIGHT TURN ON TO TAXIWAY "WHISKEY", THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A CONSTRUCTION CRANE UNLOADING A FLAT BED TRUCK AT THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY. THE IMPACT TOPPLED THE CRANE OVER EJECTING THE OCCUPANT TO THE GROUND. THE CRANE OPERATOR WAS UNCONSCIOUS AT THE SCENE AND TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING FROM THE WING TIP IN-BOARD FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET, PENETRATING THE DRY BAY OF THE FUEL CELL AREA. THE DAMAGE ALSO TRAILED BACK APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET AT THE WING TIP ALONG THE BASE OF THE WINGLET.