What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) American airlines flight #847, B-737-823, N972AN, while parked at Boston terminal b, gate 26, was struck by an unoccupied ground support americal eagle van on Saturday 10/04/03 at 1450 EDT. Passengers were boarding at the time of the accident. Massport fire rescue reported no injuries. The flight was deplaned and cancelled. Damage was a 10-inch puncture on the left side of the aircraft, forward of the #1 engine. The van apprarently had a faulty shifter that was found in park but was actually in reverse. State police report: "the van in question was last used by American airline employee privacy data omitted he parked it near the baggage building at 1430HRS and turned it off. This office believes someone had to use or move the van. The person then placed the vehicle into what the gearshift lever indicated, which was park. However, the gearshift lever indicator was faulty. The vehicle was really in reverse. The van then believed to be in park, rolled and struck the plane. Damage to the plane was estimated by americal personnel to be 20K." Massport operations report: the van was inspected by the Massachusetts state police and found to have a faulty gearshift lever. At the tim e of the accident the vehicle was unattended and the gearshift lever was found in the "park" position. Further investigation revealed that the gearshift lever indicated it was in park, but was actually in reverse. The parking brake was not set. Damage consisted of a ten-inch hole with a larger dented area in the fuselage pressure bulkhead located on the left side midway between the left engine and the L1 door. A temporary repair was authorized by American airlines fleet engineering. The repair was completed and inspected and ferried to the main maintenance base in Kansas city for evaluation and permanent repairs.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT #847, B-737-823, N972AN, WHILE PARKED AT BOSTON TERMINAL B, GATE 26, WAS STRUCK BY AN UNOCCUPIED GROUND SUPPORT AMERICAL EAGLE VAN ON SATURDAY 10/04/03 AT 1450 EDT. PASSENGERS WERE BOARDING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. MASSPORT FIRE RESCUE REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS DEPLANED AND CANCELLED. DAMAGE WAS A 10-INCH PUNCTURE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, FORWARD OF THE #1 ENGINE. THE VAN APPRARENTLY HAD A FAULTY SHIFTER THAT WAS FOUND IN PARK BUT WAS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE. STATE POLICE REPORT: "THE VAN IN QUESTION WAS LAST USED BY AMERICAN AIRLINE EMPLOYEE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HE PARKED IT NEAR THE BAGGAGE BUILDING AT 1430HRS AND TURNED IT OFF. THIS OFFICE BELIEVES SOMEONE HAD TO USE OR MOVE THE VAN. THE PERSON THEN PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO WHAT THE GEARSHIFT LEVER INDICATED, WHICH WAS PARK. HOWEVER, THE GEARSHIFT LEVER INDICATOR WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS REALLY IN REVERSE. THE VAN THEN BELIEVED TO BE IN PARK, ROLLED AND STRUCK THE PLANE. DAMAGE TO THE PLANE WAS ESTIMATED BY AMERICAL PERSONNEL TO BE 20K." MASSPORT OPERATIONS REPORT: THE VAN WAS INSPECTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE AND FOUND TO HAVE A FAULTY GEARSHIFT LEVER. AT THE TIM E OF THE ACCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS UNATTENDED AND THE GEARSHIFT LEVER WAS FOUND IN THE "PARK" POSITION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE GEARSHIFT LEVER INDICATED IT WAS IN PARK, BUT WAS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT SET. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF A TEN-INCH HOLE WITH A LARGER DENTED AREA IN THE FUSELAGE PRESSURE BULKHEAD LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE MIDWAY BETWEEN THE LEFT ENGINE AND THE L1 DOOR. A TEMPORARY REPAIR WAS AUTHORIZED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES FLEET ENGINEERING. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AND INSPECTED AND FERRIED TO THE MAIN MAINTENANCE BASE IN KANSAS CITY FOR EVALUATION AND PERMANENT REPAIRS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.