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20010324006749I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Boeing 757-223 · San Jose, CA · March 24, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 24, 2001 · 22:30 local
Place
San Jose, CA
Airport
San Jose International
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
AALA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N630AA
Reported as
Boeing 757223
N630AARegistration cancelled Mar 14, 2016 · Boeing 757-223S/N 24588 · Built 1990Airframe modelBoeing 757-223Engine modelRolls-Royce RB-211 seriesTurbo-fan

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.

(-23) An American airlines ground crew pushed bac a B757-223 a/c from gate A-9 at San Jose International Airport in San Jose, CA. While on taxiway zulu, the ground crew experienced a communication equipment malfunction. The head set system that allows the tow tug driver to communicate with the crewmember in the cockpit worked only intermittently. A supervisor was called to the a/c and tried to correct the problem. The supervisor departed the a/c and walked to his tug that he had parked near the landing gear, on the starboard (right) side of the a/c. the tug towing the a/c began to move the a/c forward when the starboard engine struck the supervisors tug dragging the tug approx. 41 feet. No injuries occurred. The a/c engine mounts were inspected with no defects noted. The a/c was ferried to fort worth, TX for additional inspection and maintenance. Contributing factors: (1) the tug driver towing the a/c stated that he relied on the other ground crew members to tell him it was clear, however, it was not clear to proceed forward. (2) parking another tug in an unsafe area in front of the a/c, malfunctioning head set and towing during darkness.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AN AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUND CREW PUSHED BAC A B757-223 A/C FROM GATE A-9 AT SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN SAN JOSE, CA. WHILE ON TAXIWAY ZULU, THE GROUND CREW EXPERIENCED A COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION. THE HEAD SET SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE TOW TUG DRIVER TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CREWMEMBER IN THE COCKPIT WORKED ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. A SUPERVISOR WAS CALLED TO THE A/C AND TRIED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE SUPERVISOR DEPARTED THE A/C AND WALKED TO HIS TUG THAT HE HAD PARKED NEAR THE LANDING GEAR, ON THE STARBOARD (RIGHT) SIDE OF THE A/C. THE TUG TOWING THE A/C BEGAN TO MOVE THE A/C FORWARD WHEN THE STARBOARD ENGINE STRUCK THE SUPERVISORS TUG DRAGGING THE TUG APPROX. 41 FEET. NO INJURIES OCCURRED. THE A/C ENGINE MOUNTS WERE INSPECTED WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. THE A/C WAS FERRIED TO FORT WORTH, TX FOR ADDITIONAL INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: (1) THE TUG DRIVER TOWING THE A/C STATED THAT HE RELIED ON THE OTHER GROUND CREW MEMBERS TO TELL HIM IT WAS CLEAR, HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT CLEAR TO PROCEED FORWARD. (2) PARKING ANOTHER TUG IN AN UNSAFE AREA IN FRONT OF THE A/C, MALFUNCTIONING HEAD SET AND TOWING DURING DARKNESS.