What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Delta flight #2030, B757-232, N697DL, 02/25/06, 2000 EST, (Boston, MA to ft. myers, FL) was preparing for push-back when the delta ramp deicing crew spotted more ice on the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer. The person in the bucket of the deicing truck spotted some ice on the left horizontal stabilizer and asked the driver to reposition the truck over the left stabilizer. While attemptiing to reposition the delta deice truck there was a miscommunication between the wing walker, the person in the bucket and the driver of the deice truck. As the wing walker signaled the driver of the deice truck to stop, the driver thought he was signaling to the tug driver preparing for push back. The aerial boom, that was partially extended struck the left elevator causing substantial damage. Approximately two feet of the left outboard elevator was severed. The driver of the deicing truck thought she had plenty of room but cut in too close to the tail of the aircraft as she made the turn. Inspectors statement: the driver of the deicing truck had been driving deicing trucks for approximately one year. She had been on duty that day for ten hours. The person in the deicing bucket had been deicing aircraft for approximately seven years and had been on duty for thirteen hours. privacy data omitted The number of hours an employee is on the clock is not really enforced by delta airlines. It seems this is an area of concern for safety. Thirteen to eighteen hours including overtime is the norm especially during the days requiring deicing equipment to be used. There is usually a shortage of qualified ramp personnel to perform the deicing operations during cold weather operations.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DELTA FLIGHT #2030, B757-232, N697DL, 02/25/06, 2000 EST, (BOSTON, MA TO FT. MYERS, FL) WAS PREPARING FOR PUSH-BACK WHEN THE DELTA RAMP DEICING CREW SPOTTED MORE ICE ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE PERSON IN THE BUCKET OF THE DEICING TRUCK SPOTTED SOME ICE ON THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ASKED THE DRIVER TO REPOSITION THE TRUCK OVER THE LEFT STABILIZER. WHILE ATTEMPTIING TO REPOSITION THE DELTA DEICE TRUCK THERE WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE WING WALKER, THE PERSON IN THE BUCKET AND THE DRIVER OF THE DEICE TRUCK. AS THE WING WALKER SIGNALED THE DRIVER OF THE DEICE TRUCK TO STOP, THE DRIVER THOUGHT HE WAS SIGNALING TO THE TUG DRIVER PREPARING FOR PUSH BACK. THE AERIAL BOOM, THAT WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED STRUCK THE LEFT ELEVATOR CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET OF THE LEFT OUTBOARD ELEVATOR WAS SEVERED. THE DRIVER OF THE DEICING TRUCK THOUGHT SHE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM BUT CUT IN TOO CLOSE TO THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT AS SHE MADE THE TURN. INSPECTORS STATEMENT: THE DRIVER OF THE DEICING TRUCK HAD BEEN DRIVING DEICING TRUCKS FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. SHE HAD BEEN ON DUTY THAT DAY FOR TEN HOURS. THE PERSON IN THE DEICING BUCKET HAD BEEN DEICING AIRCRAFT FOR APPROXIMATELY SEVEN YEARS AND HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR THIRTEEN HOURS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE NUMBER OF HOURS AN EMPLOYEE IS ON THE CLOCK IS NOT REALLY ENFORCED BY DELTA AIRLINES. IT SEEMS THIS IS AN AREA OF CONCERN FOR SAFETY. THIRTEEN TO EIGHTEEN HOURS INCLUDING OVERTIME IS THE NORM ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAYS REQUIRING DEICING EQUIPMENT TO BE USED. THERE IS USUALLY A SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED RAMP PERSONNEL TO PERFORM THE DEICING OPERATIONS DURING COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.