# Accident 19981221033789A: Boeing 727233, Denver, CO, December 21, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 21, 1998
- Place: Denver, CO
- Airport: Denver International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: FDEA
- Location: 39.8510° N, 104.7003° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8510&lon=-104.7003&mi=10
- Aircraft: N269FE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N269FE-2014-08-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 727-233 (registry code 138408A, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-727-233) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D series (registry code 52053, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 727233
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN99LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA027) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981221033789A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON DECEMBER 21, 1998, AT 2215 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, N269FE, A BOEING MODEL 727-233, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN A TOW BAR BROKE WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING PUSHED BACK AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE TUG DRIVER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING PUSHED BACK THROUGH SNOW THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 TO 16 INCHES DEEP ON THE CARGO RAMP. THE TOW BAR BROKE AND THE TUG SLID INTO THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE RADOME AND FORWARD PRESSURE BULKHEAD OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE WINDSHIELD OF THE TUG COLLAPSED INWARD. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY GROUND OR FLIGHT CREW PERSONNEL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A DOMESTIC CARGO FLIGHT UNDER FAR PART 121. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, HOWEVER, THE CARGO RAMP WAS SNOW PACKED. (.19) ON DECEMBER 21, 1998, AT 2215 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BOEING 727-233, N269FE, OPERATED BY FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION AS FLIGHT 1004, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A TUG DURING PUSH BACK AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DENVER, COLORADO. THE AIRPLANE TRANSPORT RATED CAPTAIN, FIRST OFFICER AND FLIGHT ENGINEER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEIN                                               G OPERATED AS A SCHEDULED DOMESTIC CARGO FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 121, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT TO LOS ANGELES AIRPORT, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. ACCORDING TO A REPRESENTATIVE OF FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION, A TUG WAS PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT BACK WHEN THE WHEELS OF THE AIRPLANE GOT STUCK IN SNOW. WHEN A LARGER TUG ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT, THE SHEAR PIN OF THE TOW BAR BROKE. THE TUG STRUCK THE AIRCRAFT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE RADOME AND FORWARD PRESSURE BULKHEAD.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN99LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA027), Dec 22, 1998: Boeing 727-233 (N269FE), Denver, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: Snow removal not done by other person.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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