# Accident 20010923027589A: Boeing 757222, Indianapolis, IN, September 23, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 23, 2001, 19:30 local time
- Place: Indianapolis, IN
- Airport: Indianapolis International
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: UALA
- Location: 39.7292° N, 86.2894° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7292&lon=-86.2894&mi=10
- Aircraft: N570UA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 757222
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI01LA331](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA331) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010923027589A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON 09/23/01, UNITED AIRLINES B-757-222, AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION NUMBER N570UA, OPERATING UNDER FLIGHT #153 (IND TO ORD), WAS PUSHED BACK FROM INDIANAPOLIS AIRPORT GATE C-3 AT APPROX. 1930 CST BY A GROUND CREW OF TWO. THE WING WALKER WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT IN FULL VIEW OF THE CAPTAIN AND SHE WAS USING HAND SIGNALS AT THE TIME FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE FLIGHT CREW AND THE GROUND CREW. DURING THE PUSH BACK, THE LEFT ENGINE WAS CLEARED TO START. AFTER THE A/C STOPPED, THE TRACTOR DRIVER GAVE THE SET BRAKES SIGNAL TO THE WING WALKER WHO WAS OBSERVED REPEATING THE SIGNAL TO THE CAPTAIN AND BACK TO THE TRACTOR DRIVER. THE WING WALKER APPROACHED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE NOSE GEAR AND DISCONNECTED THE TOW BAR, THEN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED FORWARD TRAPPING HER LEGS BETWEEN THE NOSE TIRES. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED MOVING BUT CAUSED SEVERE INJURIES TO HER LEGS. THE WING WALKER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY CARE. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2001, AT 1930 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BOEING 757-222, N570UA, OPERATED BY UNITED AIRLINES AS FLIGHT 153, WAS BEING PUSHED BACK FROM GATE C-3 WHEN A WING WALKER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE ROLLE                             D FORWARD WHEN THE TOW BAR WAS DISCONNECTED WHILE THE WING WALKER WAS REPORTED TO HAVE FALLEN IN FRONT OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR PINNING HER LEG. NO OTHER INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE 14 CFR PART 121 PASSENGER FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME OF 1915. THE FLIGHT WAS EN ROUTE TO THE CHICAGO O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

## 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 CHI01LA331](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA331), Sep 24, 2001: Boeing 757-222 (N570UA), Indianapolis, IN, no damage. Probable cause: the inadequate crew/group coordination and the parking brakes not set by the pilot in command.

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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