20030909021949I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Boeing 737-7H4 · Seattle, WA · September 9, 2003

Date
September 9, 2003 · 05:55 local
Place
Seattle, WA
Airport
Seattle-Tacoma International
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
SWAA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N768SW
Reported as
Boeing 7377H4

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) On September 9, 2003 at approximately 0555AM at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (sea), a southwest airline Boeing 737-700, N768SW was being towed from parking spot A2 to gate B-4 by two (2) southwest airlines ramp supervisors when the right wing tip of N768SW struck the tail cone of a Boeing 737-300, N663SW that was parked at gate A1. The tail cone of N663SW suffered substantial damage and the APU exhuast pipe was separated from the aircraft and was laying on the ground. One supervisor was driving the tug, the other supervisor was in the cockpit. The aircraft was being towed without the benefit of wing walkers. Southwest airlines sent both employees involved for during screening.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2003 AT APPROXIMATELY 0555AM AT THE SEATTLE-TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SEA), A SOUTHWEST AIRLINE BOEING 737-700, N768SW WAS BEING TOWED FROM PARKING SPOT A2 TO GATE B-4 BY TWO (2) SOUTHWEST AIRLINES RAMP SUPERVISORS WHEN THE RIGHT WING TIP OF N768SW STRUCK THE TAIL CONE OF A BOEING 737-300, N663SW THAT WAS PARKED AT GATE A1. THE TAIL CONE OF N663SW SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE APU EXHUAST PIPE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS LAYING ON THE GROUND. ONE SUPERVISOR WAS DRIVING THE TUG, THE OTHER SUPERVISOR WAS IN THE COCKPIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING TOWED WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF WING WALKERS. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SENT BOTH EMPLOYEES INVOLVED FOR DURING SCREENING.