20020116008109I

(-23) ON JANUARY 16, 2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 2245, UALA, A320 AIRCRAFT NUMBER 4675 (N475UA) WAS BEING TAXIED BY A UNITED AIRLINES MAINTENANCE TAXI CREW, LINDSEY E. WALKER (LEFT SEAT) AND MICHELLE RUTHKOWSKI (RIGHT SEAT) FROM TERMINAL GATE B-10 TO THE HANGAR FOR THE OVERNIGHT. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE TEMPERATURE +27 DEGREES, WINDS FROM 300 @13, GUSTING TO 21. THE RAMP CONDITIONS CONSISTED OF SNOW AND ICE. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING SOUTH TOWARDS THE E-GATES NEAR THE SOUTH PORT, AND AS THE AIRCRAFT STARTED THE RIGHT TURN, THE NOSE WHEEL LOST TRACTION ON THE SNOW COVERED AND ICY RAMP. THE TAXI CREW WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT AND IT CONTINUED A TURNING SKID TO THE LEFT OF THE TAXI CONTROL LINE. THE LEFT WING OF AIRCRAFT 4675 CONTACTED THE TAIL OF A CONTINENTAL AIRLINES B-757, N17126 PARKED AT GATE E-12. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP WITH THE WING TIP APPROXIMATELY 45 FEET PAST THE TAIL OF N17216, AIRCRAFT 4675'S WING HAD GONE UNDER THE APU DOORS AREA OF THE B-757 TAIL AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET AND WAS NOW APPROXIMATELY 96 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE TAXI LINE TOWARDS THE E-GATES. DAMAGE TO 4675 WAS LIMITED TO THE #1 LEADING EDGE SLAT, LEFT WINGTIP FENCE, LEFT WING TIP, LEFT AILERON, AND THE OUTBOARD UNDER WING PANEL. THE CONTINENTAL B-757 HAD DAMAGE TO THE APU DOORS AND THE FUSELAGE SKIN 106 INCHES PAST THE DOORS. THE CONTINENTAL AIRLINES AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED OUT OF ORD TO HOUSTON FOR REPAIRS THE MORNING OF JANUARY 17, 2002. DURING A CONVERSATION WITH THE CONTINENTAL B-757 PILOT BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED TO HOUSTON, THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE AT THE GATE, FULLY LOADED WITH 122 PASSENGERS, 3 CABIN CREW AND 2 COCKPIT CREW. THEY HAD THE CABIN DOOR CLOSED TO KEEP THE HEAT IN WHILE THEY WAITED FOR MAINTENANCE TO COMPLETE SOME LAST MINUTE WORK ON NUMBER 2 ENGINE. THE PILOT ALSO COMMENTED THAT HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT SHUDDER WHEN IT WAS STRUCK, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED BUT WAS SURE SOMETHING HAD STRUCK HIS AIRCRAFT WHEN HE FELT THE IMPACT. UNITED AIRLINES MAINTENANCE TOWED AIRCRAFT 4675 TO THE HANGAR WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE DAMAGED AND REPLACED: #5 LEADING EDGE SLAT, LEFT WING TIP, LEFT WING TIP FENCE AND THE LEFT OUTBOARD WING AILERON. THE OUTBOARD WING STRUCTURE WAS ALSO INSPECTED COMPLETELY AND NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO IT WAS NOTED. ALL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED AS OF JANUARY 28, 2002 AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON IT'S FIRST REVENUE FLIGHT ON JANUARY 29, 2002. AS TO THE CALA B-757, THE DAMAGED APU DOOR WAS REPLACED, SEVERAL FUSELAGE DENTS AND OTHER STRUCTURAL WORK WAS COMPLETED PER CALA'S (ECRA) ENGINEERING CHANGE REPAIR AUTHORIZATION, 5311-01112, 5331-01097, AND SRM 53-00-03 AT (IAH) HOUSTON TEXAS MAINTENANCE FACILITY ON JANUARY 20, 2002. UNITED AIRLINES CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT AND DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE ROOT CAUSED OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING TAXIED TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS. THIS WAS DETERMINED BY THE FDR DATA REPORT OF 10 KTS AND A SKID OF 250 FEET FROM THE START OF THE TURN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^