What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On April 12, 2001, about 2210 eastern daylight time, an Embraer Emb-135LR, N735TS, operated by American eagle as flight 9766, was substantially damaged during pushback at the Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport (cle), Cleveland, Ohio. The three crewmembers were not injured, and there were no passengers onboard. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the planned positioning flight to norfolk international airport (orf), norfolk, Virginia. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight to be conducted under 14 cft part 91. According to witness statements, the engines were secured, and a tug was connected to the nose wheel of the airplane in preparation for pushback. The flight crew completed the checklist to include selecting the parking brake to off. The crew then advised the tug operator that they were cleared to push. The tug operator responded, "here we go." The tug operator released the parking brake for the tug, placed the shifter into "low," and slowly pressed on the accelerator. The crew felt the airplane move about a foot, and then the nose-gear collapsed. When the crew exited the airplane they noticed chocks behind the left-main landing gear wheel. They queried station personnel about the chocks, and were advised that the chocks were placed there after the accident. According to the manufacture of the tug, when it was shipped from the factory it weighed 60,000 pounds, had 40,000 pounds of pulling traction, and was capable of pushing back a Douglas DC-10. About 19 minutes before the accident, the weather at the airport was recorded as wind 270 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 28 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 57 degrees fahrenheit, dew point 48 degrees fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 29.89 inches of mercury. (-23) the aircraft was attached to a stewart stevenson, model GT-60-126 tug, at the gate. Preparing for a repositioning flight. At the beginning of the pushback maneuver, the nose gear assembly, came out of the trunnion caps, and went aft out of the wheel well, folding back against the lower fuselage. The fuselage proceeded down, to meet the tug and the ground. There was substantial damage to the fuselage frame 4, and longeron between frames 8 & 9.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON APRIL 12, 2001, ABOUT 2210 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EMBRAER EMB-135LR, N735TS, OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE AS FLIGHT 9766, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING PUSHBACK AT THE CLEVELAND-HOPKINS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CLE), CLEVELAND, OHIO. THE THREE CREWMEMBERS WERE NOT INJURED, AND THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ONBOARD. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PLANNED POSITIONING FLIGHT TO NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ORF), NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT TO BE CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFT PART 91. ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS, THE ENGINES WERE SECURED, AND A TUG WAS CONNECTED TO THE NOSE WHEEL OF THE AIRPLANE IN PREPARATION FOR PUSHBACK. THE FLIGHT CREW COMPLETED THE CHECKLIST TO INCLUDE SELECTING THE PARKING BRAKE TO OFF. THE CREW THEN ADVISED THE TUG OPERATOR THAT THEY WERE CLEARED TO PUSH. THE TUG OPERATOR RESPONDED, "HERE WE GO." THE TUG OPERATOR RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE FOR THE TUG, PLACED THE SHIFTER INTO "LOW," AND SLOWLY PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR. THE CREW FELT THE AIRPLANE MOVE ABOUT A FOOT, AND THEN THE NOSE-GEAR COLLAPSED. WHEN THE CREW EXITED THE AIRPLANE THEY NOTICED CHOCKS BEHIND THE LEFT-MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL. THEY QUERIED STATION PERSONNEL ABOUT THE CHOCKS, AND WERE ADVISED THAT THE CHOCKS WERE PLACED THERE AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF THE TUG, WHEN IT WAS SHIPPED FROM THE FACTORY IT WEIGHED 60,000 POUNDS, HAD 40,000 POUNDS OF PULLING TRACTION, AND WAS CAPABLE OF PUSHING BACK A DOUGLAS DC-10. ABOUT 19 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT WAS RECORDED AS WIND 270 DEGREES AT 22 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 28 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 MILES, CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURE 57 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, DEW POINT 48 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.89 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ATTACHED TO A STEWART STEVENSON, MODEL GT-60-126 TUG, AT THE GATE. PREPARING FOR A REPOSITIONING FLIGHT. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PUSHBACK MANEUVER, THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY, CAME OUT OF THE TRUNNION CAPS, AND WENT AFT OUT OF THE WHEEL WELL, FOLDING BACK AGAINST THE LOWER FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE PROCEEDED DOWN, TO MEET THE TUG AND THE GROUND. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE FRAME 4, AND LONGERON BETWEEN FRAMES 8 & 9.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.