# Incident 19990114012769I: Emb EMB120, Atlanta, GA, January 14, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 14, 1999, 22:20 local time
- Place: Atlanta, GA
- Airport: The William B Hartsfield Atla
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: ASOA
- Location: 33.7490° N, 84.3880° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Atlanta, GA, within about 7 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7490&lon=-84.3880&mi=10
- Aircraft: N233AS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N233AS-2014-12-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Embraer EMB-120RT (registry code 3260202, https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-120rt) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EMB EMB120
- Reported engine: PWA PW118
- People aboard: 13
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 6,158 total, 6,158 in this make and model, 216 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990114012769I

## Narrative

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

ON THE MORNING OF FRIDAY JANUARY 15, AT APPROX. 0815, INSPECTOR JONES REQUESTED THAT I DISPATCH MYSELF TO THE ATLANTA AIRPORT TO REPRESENT THE FAA, AND TEAM B FROM THE OPERATIONS STANDPOINT WITH ANY ASSISTANCE NEEDED REGARDING THE EMB-120 RAMP ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED AT APPROX. 2230 ON JANUARY 14. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT, I JOINED ASA'S SAFETY OFFICER RILEY SHAMBURGER, CAPT. JOHN GOODSON (PROGRAM MGR. EMB-120), AND BOB LEVESQUE (DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE) ON A TRIP TO THE NORTHWEST AIRLINES RAMP TO INSPECT AIRCRAFT 223AS AND A DELTA AIRLINES "TUG' BOTH OF WHICH WERE INVOLVED IN THE RAMP ACCIDENT. WHILE APPROACHING THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS EASY TO NOTICE THAT TWO OF THE FOUR PROPELLER BLADES ON THE RIGHT ENGINE WERE BROKEN OFF, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE STARTING AT THE RIGHT WING ROOT AND TRAVELING REARWARD. THIS WAS IN THE FORM OF BOTH HOLES IN THE FUSELAGE, AND"BUCKLING" OF THE SKIN WHICH WAS A RESULT OF THE TUG TRAVELING UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. THE TUG ITSELF HAD COMPLETE DAMAGE TO THE STEERING WHEEL, CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE TO THE EXTERIOR. FROM ALL ACCOUNTS THAT MORNING, IT APPEARED AS IF THE TUG DRIVER, MR. DAVID MITCHELL, WAS TRAVELING NW ON THE "CROSSOVER"  LOCATION ON THE SOUTHERN END OF RAMP 4. THIS OCCURRED AT NIGHT, DURING HEAVY RAIN, WITH POOR VISIBILITY. IT WAS ALSO STATED THAT THE DRIVER MAY HAVE HAD HIS HAND OVER HIS RAINCOAT HOOD,FURTHER RESTRICTING HIS VIEW OF THE TAXIING AIRCRAFT. FROM ALL INDICATIONS, HE ACCIDENTALLY CONTACTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AT OR NEAR THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TAXI LIGHT WAS NOT ON AT THE TIME. I ALSO NOTED MYSELF, THAT THE "CROSSOVER" LINES WERE PAINTED IN A LESS NOTICEABLE COLOR AND DESIGN THAN THE MID-PT. AND END BOUNDARY LINES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

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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