What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Chautauqua airlines, d/b/a us airways express, N275SK, Emb-145-LR, flight 3163, bos-roc, was struck by a tug while the aircraft was waiting for pushback clearance at gate 9A at Boston, MA at 23:10 EDT, on Friday 05/12/06. The tug driver sustained minor injuries but was sent to hospital to get checked out. The tug driver was employed by us airways mainline and not us airways express. The tug driver was taking a short cut across the ramp at night in poor visibility in the rain. The tug driver was thrown from the tug and had cuts on his face that needed stitches. The passengers and crew deplaned normally, no injuries were reported. There was substantial damage to the left wing, leading edge, wing tip and the aileron. No ATC involvement. There were forty eight passengers and three crew. Description of the damage: upper wing skin 4" tear along the aft spar in-line with the fasteners. Lower wing skin aft outboard corner skin missing 2X2 inch section with 2 inch crack along the aft spar edge with no damage to the aft spar. Embraer technical support engineering recommended a "major temporary repair" consisting of a new wing rib, aileron, wing tip and two external doublers on the upper and lower wing skin. The aircraft will be ferried to columbus Ohio where permanent repairs will be made. Skins will be replaced on the upper and lower surfaces. Inspectors statement: the tug driver was privacy data omitted who is an employee of us airways mainline. It is not known how long privacy data omitted has been employed by us airways nor what his level of experience was. According to witness statements provided by other employees who were on the ramp at the time of the accident, the tug driver may have been driving too fast. Given the weather conditions at the time of the accident (rain & mist), the fact that it was nighttime and that the driver may have been driving too fast, it is easy to see how this accident may have happened. privacy data omitted Was tested for drugs and alcohol. The results are not yet known.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) CHAUTAUQUA AIRLINES, D/B/A US AIRWAYS EXPRESS, N275SK, EMB-145-LR, FLIGHT 3163, BOS-ROC, WAS STRUCK BY A TUG WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS WAITING FOR PUSHBACK CLEARANCE AT GATE 9A AT BOSTON, MA AT 23:10 EDT, ON FRIDAY 05/12/06. THE TUG DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES BUT WAS SENT TO HOSPITAL TO GET CHECKED OUT. THE TUG DRIVER WAS EMPLOYED BY US AIRWAYS MAINLINE AND NOT US AIRWAYS EXPRESS. THE TUG DRIVER WAS TAKING A SHORT CUT ACROSS THE RAMP AT NIGHT IN POOR VISIBILITY IN THE RAIN. THE TUG DRIVER WAS THROWN FROM THE TUG AND HAD CUTS ON HIS FACE THAT NEEDED STITCHES. THE PASSENGERS AND CREW DEPLANED NORMALLY, NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, LEADING EDGE, WING TIP AND THE AILERON. NO ATC INVOLVEMENT. THERE WERE FORTY EIGHT PASSENGERS AND THREE CREW. DESCRIPTION OF THE DAMAGE: UPPER WING SKIN 4" TEAR ALONG THE AFT SPAR IN-LINE WITH THE FASTENERS. LOWER WING SKIN AFT OUTBOARD CORNER SKIN MISSING 2X2 INCH SECTION WITH 2 INCH CRACK ALONG THE AFT SPAR EDGE WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AFT SPAR. EMBRAER TECHNICAL SUPPORT ENGINEERING RECOMMENDED A "MAJOR TEMPORARY REPAIR" CONSISTING OF A NEW WING RIB, AILERON, WING TIP AND TWO EXTERNAL DOUBLERS ON THE UPPER AND LOWER WING SKIN. THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE FERRIED TO COLUMBUS OHIO WHERE PERMANENT REPAIRS WILL BE MADE. SKINS WILL BE REPLACED ON THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES. INSPECTORS STATEMENT: THE TUG DRIVER WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OF US AIRWAYS MAINLINE. IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW LONG ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY US AIRWAYS NOR WHAT HIS LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE WAS. ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS PROVIDED BY OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO WERE ON THE RAMP AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE TUG DRIVER MAY HAVE BEEN DRIVING TOO FAST. GIVEN THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT (RAIN & MIST), THE FACT THAT IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND THAT THE DRIVER MAY HAVE BEEN DRIVING TOO FAST, IT IS EASY TO SEE HOW THIS ACCIDENT MAY HAVE HAPPENED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TESTED FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. THE RESULTS ARE NOT YET KNOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.