What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Us air, flight #2143, A-319-112, N744US, Boston ma to laguardia NY, at 2012 EST, 01/30/06, sustained minor damage to the #2 engine cowl when the shear-pin for the tow bar broke on pushback from gate B17 in Boston. There were no injuries. The passengers deplaned after the aircraft returned to the gate. The aircraft sustained a one-foot gash to the #2 engine cowl. The engine pylon, and nose gear were inspected. The steering metering valve will be replaced before ferrying the aircraft to philadelphia where the engine cowl will be replaced. Inspectors statement: the aircraft was pushed back off gate B-17, tail east per flight deck request. During pushback the tow bar shear pin sheared as it was designed to do when turning the aircraft beyond its turn limits. The ramp agent privacy data omitted (tug driver) continued to push the aircraft and began to jackknife the push tug. privacy data omitted Did not realize he had broken the tow bar, or that he had come in contact with the #2 engine cowl in the process. The ramp agent privacy data omitted (tug driver) had been on duty 14 days straight and on duty this day for 15 hours. The wing walker, privacy data omitted had been one day back from his rdo and 15 hours on duty. Ramp agent privacy data omitted was on the headset walking next to the pushback tug and had been back 2 days from his rdo and on duty for 8 hours. Massport operations was notified but the state police were not notified. Us airways management contacted their outside vendor/contractor for drug and alcohol testing. Both privacy data omitted (tug driver) and privacy data omitted (wing walker) tested positive for alcohol. privacy data omitted Blew a .165 and privacy data omitted blew a .105. The third ramp agent, privacy data omitted tested negative. privacy data omitted And privacy data omitted have been suspended and will probably be terminated. privacy data omitted Has 21 years on the job and was a ramp lead and shop steward. privacy data omitted Has 25 years on the job. Ramp agent jobs are not considered a "safety sensitive position" so there is no random drug testing performed. There also seems to be no limit to the amount of time that a ramp agent can work in a day, a month, or even a year without an rdo. It's time someone took a close look at this situation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) US AIR, FLIGHT #2143, A-319-112, N744US, BOSTON MA TO LAGUARDIA NY, AT 2012 EST, 01/30/06, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE #2 ENGINE COWL WHEN THE SHEAR-PIN FOR THE TOW BAR BROKE ON PUSHBACK FROM GATE B17 IN BOSTON. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE PASSENGERS DEPLANED AFTER THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE GATE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A ONE-FOOT GASH TO THE #2 ENGINE COWL. THE ENGINE PYLON, AND NOSE GEAR WERE INSPECTED. THE STEERING METERING VALVE WILL BE REPLACED BEFORE FERRYING THE AIRCRAFT TO PHILADELPHIA WHERE THE ENGINE COWL WILL BE REPLACED. INSPECTORS STATEMENT: THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUSHED BACK OFF GATE B-17, TAIL EAST PER FLIGHT DECK REQUEST. DURING PUSHBACK THE TOW BAR SHEAR PIN SHEARED AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO WHEN TURNING THE AIRCRAFT BEYOND ITS TURN LIMITS. THE RAMP AGENT ^PRIVACY DATA OM^ (TUG DRIVER) CONTINUED TO PUSH THE AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN TO JACKKNIFE THE PUSH TUG. ^PRIVACY DAT^ DID NOT REALIZE HE HAD BROKEN THE TOW BAR, OR THAT HE HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE #2 ENGINE COWL IN THE PROCESS. THE RAMP AGENT ^PRIVACY DATA OM^ (TUG DRIVER) HAD BEEN ON DUTY 14 DAYS STRAIGHT AND ON DUTY THIS DAY FOR 15 HOURS. THE WING WALKER, ^PRIVACY DATA ^ HAD BEEN ONE DAY BACK FROM HIS RDO AND 15 HOURS ON DUTY. RAMP AGENT ^PRIVACY DATA^ WAS ON THE HEADSET WALKING NEXT TO THE PUSHBACK TUG AND HAD BEEN BACK 2 DAYS FROM HIS RDO AND ON DUTY FOR 8 HOURS. MASSPORT OPERATIONS WAS NOTIFIED BUT THE STATE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. US AIRWAYS MANAGEMENT CONTACTED THEIR OUTSIDE VENDOR/CONTRACTOR FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING. BOTH ^PRIVACY DAT^ (TUG DRIVER) AND ^PRIVACY DAT^ (WING WALKER) TESTED POSITIVE FOR ALCOHOL. ^PRIVACY DAT^ BLEW A .165 AND ^PRIVACY DAT^ BLEW A .105. THE THIRD RAMP AGENT, ^PRIVACY DATA^ TESTED NEGATIVE. ^PRIVACY DAT^ AND ^PRIVACY DAT^ HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED AND WILL PROBABLY BE TERMINATED. ^PRIVACY DAT^ HAS 21 YEARS ON THE JOB AND WAS A RAMP LEAD AND SHOP STEWARD. ^PRIVACY DAT^ HAS 25 YEARS ON THE JOB. RAMP AGENT JOBS ARE NOT CONSIDERED A "SAFETY SENSITIVE POSITION" SO THERE IS NO RANDOM DRUG TESTING PERFORMED. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE NO LIMIT TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT A RAMP AGENT CAN WORK IN A DAY, A MONTH, OR EVEN A YEAR WITHOUT AN RDO. IT'S TIME SOMEONE TOOK A CLOSE LOOK AT THIS SITUATION.