# Incident 20010324006749I: Boeing 757223, San Jose, CA, March 24, 2001

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 24, 2001, 22:30 local time
- Place: San Jose, CA
- Airport: San Jose International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: AALA
- Location: 37.3394° N, 121.8950° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of San Jose, CA, within about 8 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3394&lon=-121.8950&mi=10
- Aircraft: N630AA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N630AA-2016-03-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 757-223 (registry code 1384957, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-223) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce RB-211 series (registry code 54555, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-rb-211-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 757223
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010324006749I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

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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