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20030411004249I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Doug MD-11 · Los Angeles, CA · April 11, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 11, 2003 · 00:25 local
Place
Los Angeles, CA
Airport
Los Angeles International
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
WRLA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N271WA
Reported as
Doug MD11
N271WARegistration cancelled Nov 24, 2014 · Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11S/N 48518 · Built 1992Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas MD-11Engine modelPratt & Whitney PW4000 seriesTurbo-fan

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) MD-11-11 was being pushed (tug operated by globe ground north america) back from lax remote gate 216. During the maneuver, the tug and towbar connected the nose landing gear, rt rear NLG door, and both NLG steering cylinders. Both cylinders broke away from the NLG due to their pistons snapping in two. The cab of the tug was crushed. Due to the towbar jacknife, both nose tires were goughed. The tug operator was not injured. The scanner who was riding in the back of the tug got skydrol in his face and pieces of glass from the tug windshield in his nostril. He was later treated and certified for return to duties. Aircraft engines were running at the time of the accident. privacy data omitted There is the issue of whether or not the engines were running during pushback, and if so, did the aircraft engines thrust (above idle) overpower the tug. Letters were sent (04-17-2003) to the two acft mechanics who were in the cockpit during tow. As of this date, the cause of the incident has not been determined.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MD-11-11 WAS BEING PUSHED (TUG OPERATED BY GLOBE GROUND NORTH AMERICA) BACK FROM LAX REMOTE GATE 216. DURING THE MANEUVER, THE TUG AND TOWBAR CONNECTED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, RT REAR NLG DOOR, AND BOTH NLG STEERING CYLINDERS. BOTH CYLINDERS BROKE AWAY FROM THE NLG DUE TO THEIR PISTONS SNAPPING IN TWO. THE CAB OF THE TUG WAS CRUSHED. DUE TO THE TOWBAR JACKNIFE, BOTH NOSE TIRES WERE GOUGHED. THE TUG OPERATOR WAS NOT INJURED. THE SCANNER WHO WAS RIDING IN THE BACK OF THE TUG GOT SKYDROL IN HIS FACE AND PIECES OF GLASS FROM THE TUG WINDSHIELD IN HIS NOSTRIL. HE WAS LATER TREATED AND CERTIFIED FOR RETURN TO DUTIES. AIRCRAFT ENGINES WERE RUNNING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THERE IS THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT THE ENGINES WERE RUNNING DURING PUSHBACK, AND IF SO, DID THE AIRCRAFT ENGINES THRUST (ABOVE IDLE) OVERPOWER THE TUG. LETTERS WERE SENT (04-17-2003) TO THE TWO ACFT MECHANICS WHO WERE IN THE COCKPIT DURING TOW. AS OF THIS DATE, THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.