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20040726019579I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Boeing 737-790 · Gustavus, AK · July 26, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 26, 2004 · 18:33 local
Place
Gustavus, AK
Airport
Gustavus
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
ASAA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N627AS
Reported as
Boeing 737790
People aboard
84
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
10,680 total552 in this make and model227 in the last 90 days
N627ASRegistered now · Boeing 737-790S/N 30794 · Built 2001Airframe modelBoeing 737-790Engine modelCFM International CFM56-7B24 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) As the pilot of asaa flt 77 was taxiing away from the Alaska airline terminal at Gustavus, AK the aircraft's left wing tip struck the overhanging roof of the terminal building. The pilot had followed company procedures regarding where to park the aircraft, (park on the painted j-line) and how to leave the terminal. The problem was that these procedures were created for a B-737-400, and N627AS is a B-737-700 with a wing that is approximately 10 ft longer and several feet higher off the ground. Alaska airlines did not modify its Gustavus procedures to take in to consideration the larger, higher wing of the -700. A-400 wing is not high enough to strike the roof overhang, and has ample room to clear the building. Asaa's safety committees has recommended to the company to park the -700S farther from the terminal building and modify its flight marshaller position farther out in front of the aircraft to be more effective. The Gustavus parking area is small, and creates challenges for large jet operations. The pilot has been counseled on the incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AS THE PILOT OF ASAA FLT 77 WAS TAXIING AWAY FROM THE ALASKA AIRLINE TERMINAL AT GUSTAVUS, AK THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE OVERHANGING ROOF OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING. THE PILOT HAD FOLLOWED COMPANY PROCEDURES REGARDING WHERE TO PARK THE AIRCRAFT, (PARK ON THE PAINTED J-LINE) AND HOW TO LEAVE THE TERMINAL. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THESE PROCEDURES WERE CREATED FOR A B-737-400, AND N627AS IS A B-737-700 WITH A WING THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 10 FT LONGER AND SEVERAL FEET HIGHER OFF THE GROUND. ALASKA AIRLINES DID NOT MODIFY ITS GUSTAVUS PROCEDURES TO TAKE IN TO CONSIDERATION THE LARGER, HIGHER WING OF THE -700. A-400 WING IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO STRIKE THE ROOF OVERHANG, AND HAS AMPLE ROOM TO CLEAR THE BUILDING. ASAA'S SAFETY COMMITTEES HAS RECOMMENDED TO THE COMPANY TO PARK THE -700S FARTHER FROM THE TERMINAL BUILDING AND MODIFY ITS FLIGHT MARSHALLER POSITION FARTHER OUT IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE. THE GUSTAVUS PARKING AREA IS SMALL, AND CREATES CHALLENGES FOR LARGE JET OPERATIONS. THE PILOT HAS BEEN COUNSELED ON THE INCIDENT.