What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) An us airways express (shuttle america uhla) N43SZ, SF-340-A aircraft contacted a taxiway fence while mechanics were repositioning the aircraft from the Bedford (bed) terminal to the maintenance hangar. The two mechanics at the controls lost all steering and brakes. The right engine and propeller contacted the airport's taxiway perimeter fence and went into the grass at 2330 EDT, 04/16/02. There were no passengers onboard, only two mechanics. Two propeller blades were damaged, one had severe abrasion and the other had a large section missing from the tip. The right wing had a deep gouge on the lower wing skin located between the engine nacelle and the fuselage. The gouge ran from approximately eighteen inches from the leading edge to the trailing edge. There was also damage to the underside of the right compositie flap, inboard of the nacelle consisting of a gouge, and a large puncture at the trailing edge. Prior to this incident, mechanics were performing a maintenance check simulating a weight off wheels check. During the check screwdrivers are normally placed in the left and right main landing gear micro switchesl this simulates weight off wheels that disconnects all steering and removes all hydraulic pressure to the brakes. The weight off wheels check was completed and paperwork completed. The mechanics stated that "prior to engine start a walk-around was completed." The mechanics failed to remove the screwdrivers prior to engine start and taxi. Massachusetts state trooper fitzgerald found a flat screwdriver on the west ramp in front of the main terminal. He found another screwdriver at the incident site lying next to the right main gear.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AN US AIRWAYS EXPRESS (SHUTTLE AMERICA UHLA) N43SZ, SF-340-A AIRCRAFT CONTACTED A TAXIWAY FENCE WHILE MECHANICS WERE REPOSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE BEDFORD (BED) TERMINAL TO THE MAINTENANCE HANGAR. THE TWO MECHANICS AT THE CONTROLS LOST ALL STEERING AND BRAKES. THE RIGHT ENGINE AND PROPELLER CONTACTED THE AIRPORT'S TAXIWAY PERIMETER FENCE AND WENT INTO THE GRASS AT 2330 EDT, 04/16/02. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ONBOARD, ONLY TWO MECHANICS. TWO PROPELLER BLADES WERE DAMAGED, ONE HAD SEVERE ABRASION AND THE OTHER HAD A LARGE SECTION MISSING FROM THE TIP. THE RIGHT WING HAD A DEEP GOUGE ON THE LOWER WING SKIN LOCATED BETWEEN THE ENGINE NACELLE AND THE FUSELAGE. THE GOUGE RAN FROM APPROXIMATELY EIGHTEEN INCHES FROM THE LEADING EDGE TO THE TRAILING EDGE. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT COMPOSITIE FLAP, INBOARD OF THE NACELLE CONSISTING OF A GOUGE, AND A LARGE PUNCTURE AT THE TRAILING EDGE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, MECHANICS WERE PERFORMING A MAINTENANCE CHECK SIMULATING A WEIGHT OFF WHEELS CHECK. DURING THE CHECK SCREWDRIVERS ARE NORMALLY PLACED IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR MICRO SWITCHESL THIS SIMULATES WEIGHT OFF WHEELS THAT DISCONNECTS ALL STEERING AND REMOVES ALL HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES. THE WEIGHT OFF WHEELS CHECK WAS COMPLETED AND PAPERWORK COMPLETED. THE MECHANICS STATED THAT "PRIOR TO ENGINE START A WALK-AROUND WAS COMPLETED." THE MECHANICS FAILED TO REMOVE THE SCREWDRIVERS PRIOR TO ENGINE START AND TAXI. MASSACHUSETTS STATE TROOPER FITZGERALD FOUND A FLAT SCREWDRIVER ON THE WEST RAMP IN FRONT OF THE MAIN TERMINAL. HE FOUND ANOTHER SCREWDRIVER AT THE INCIDENT SITE LYING NEXT TO THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR.
Other reports on N43SZ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.