20030127006099I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Saab 340B · Grand Rapids, MN · January 27, 2003

Date: January 27, 2003 · 07:25 local
Place: Grand Rapids, MN
Airport: Grand Rapids-Itasca County
Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: MALA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N360PX
Reported as: Saab 340B
People aboard: 15
Fatal injuries: 0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) During de-icing operations at the gate, after the passengers were boarded, the aircraft's nose cone was struck by a de-ice tower cart, which was being towed by a tug. This caused minor damage to the aircraft's nose cone. No passengers or crew were injured either in the aircraft or on the ground. The driver of the tug was driving too close to the aircraft, within the 10 feet minimum safety area, which was contrary to the company's station operations manual. privacy data omitted No eir will be written due to the lack of an FAR requiring air carriers to adhere to their own required company manuals.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING DE-ICING OPERATIONS AT THE GATE, AFTER THE PASSENGERS WERE BOARDED, THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE CONE WAS STRUCK BY A DE-ICE TOWER CART, WHICH WAS BEING TOWED BY A TUG. THIS CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE CONE. NO PASSENGERS OR CREW WERE INJURED EITHER IN THE AIRCRAFT OR ON THE GROUND. THE DRIVER OF THE TUG WAS DRIVING TOO CLOSE TO THE AIRCRAFT, WITHIN THE 10 FEET MINIMUM SAFETY AREA, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO THE COMPANY'S STATION OPERATIONS MANUAL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NO EIR WILL BE WRITTEN DUE TO THE LACK OF AN FAR REQUIRING AIR CARRIERS TO ADHERE TO THEIR OWN REQUIRED COMPANY MANUALS.