# Accident 20020511038299A: Boeing 75733N, Chicago, IL, May 11, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 11, 2002, 17:45 local time
- Place: Chicago, IL
- Airport: Chicago Midway
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: AMTA
- Location: 41.7858° N, 87.7522° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7858&lon=-87.7522&mi=10
- Aircraft: N552TZ (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 75733N
- People aboard: 96
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 15,871 total, 266 in this make and model, 207 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI02LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA128) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020511038299A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON 5/11/2002, AT 1745 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A SOUTHWEST (SWA) B-737 AIRCRAFT N408WN WAS PARKED AT GATE F6 AT MIDWAY AIRPORT IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AND WAS STRUCK BY AN AMERICAN TRANS AIR (AMTA) B-757 AIRCRAFT N552TZ. THE PUSHBACK OPERATOR/DRIVER FAILED TO KEEP VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE WING WALKERS WHILE AIRCRAFT N552TZ WAS BEING PUSHED BACK FROM GATE A3 WHICH IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM GATE F6. THE WING WALKERS ATTEMPTED TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THE PUSHBACK DRIVER AS THE AIRCRAFT'S TAILS GOT CLOSER TO EACH OTHER. THE RIGHT ELEVATOR OF THE AMTA B-757 STRUCK THE RIGHT ELEVATOR OF THE SWA B-737 CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE OF BOTH AIRCRAFT'S HORIZONTAL STABILIZER/ELEVATOR. A FLIGHT ATTENDANT ONBOARD THE B-757 SUFFERED A MINOR BUMP TO HER HEAD WITH NO LACERATION.

## 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 CHI02LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA128), May 11, 2002: Boeing 757-33N (N552TZ), Chicago, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The ground personnel handled the aircraft improperly during pushback from the gate by failing to maintain clearance with the other parked aircraft. The light rain and the parked airplane that was…

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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