What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Air Canada, flight #365, A-320-211, while awaiting pushback at gate 12 in Boston ma was struck by a unit loading device (uld) at approximately 18:10 EDT, 09/21/06. The passengers were off loaded. No injuries were reported. Damage to the aircraft was reported as a five inch puncture to the right side rear of the cargo door. The aircraft was repositioned to the north cargo area awaiting repairs by united maintenance. United ramp personnel under contract by air Canada were using a unit loading device (uld) can loader and one of the cans got stuck on one of the floor locks during loading. United ramp personnel tried to raise the uld to free the stuck can but the uld contacted the side of the aircraft. United maintenance installed an 8"X12" doubler over the damaged skin and the aircraft was ferried back to toronto where permanent repairs will be made. There was no structural damage to the aircraft other than a puncture in the skin of the aircraft. From the united ramp contractor for air Canada: while loading containers onto the aircraft, one of the containers became lodged on a container lock. While attempting to dislodge the container by using the cargo loader platform the cargo loader moved up too high and pressed into the side of the aircraft. Operational impact: aircraft taken out of service for repairs. Type and location of damage: punched hole and several scratches/cuts on right rear fuselage near cargo door. Ground equipment involved: cargo loader CL-016. Findings: cargo loader - no known issues exist with the cargo loader in question. Inspector's statement: root causes: inexperience, improper use of cargo loader. Conclusions: incident still under investigation by air Canada and the united airlines ramp manager.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIR CANADA, FLIGHT #365, A-320-211, WHILE AWAITING PUSHBACK AT GATE 12 IN BOSTON MA WAS STRUCK BY A UNIT LOADING DEVICE (ULD) AT APPROXIMATELY 18:10 EDT, 09/21/06. THE PASSENGERS WERE OFF LOADED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED AS A FIVE INCH PUNCTURE TO THE RIGHT SIDE REAR OF THE CARGO DOOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPOSITIONED TO THE NORTH CARGO AREA AWAITING REPAIRS BY UNITED MAINTENANCE. UNITED RAMP PERSONNEL UNDER CONTRACT BY AIR CANADA WERE USING A UNIT LOADING DEVICE (ULD) CAN LOADER AND ONE OF THE CANS GOT STUCK ON ONE OF THE FLOOR LOCKS DURING LOADING. UNITED RAMP PERSONNEL TRIED TO RAISE THE ULD TO FREE THE STUCK CAN BUT THE ULD CONTACTED THE SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. UNITED MAINTENANCE INSTALLED AN 8"X12" DOUBLER OVER THE DAMAGED SKIN AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED BACK TO TORONTO WHERE PERMANENT REPAIRS WILL BE MADE. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN A PUNCTURE IN THE SKIN OF THE AIRCRAFT. FROM THE UNITED RAMP CONTRACTOR FOR AIR CANADA: WHILE LOADING CONTAINERS ONTO THE AIRCRAFT, ONE OF THE CONTAINERS BECAME LODGED ON A CONTAINER LOCK. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DISLODGE THE CONTAINER BY USING THE CARGO LOADER PLATFORM THE CARGO LOADER MOVED UP TOO HIGH AND PRESSED INTO THE SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. OPERATIONAL IMPACT: AIRCRAFT TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR REPAIRS. TYPE AND LOCATION OF DAMAGE: PUNCHED HOLE AND SEVERAL SCRATCHES/CUTS ON RIGHT REAR FUSELAGE NEAR CARGO DOOR. GROUND EQUIPMENT INVOLVED: CARGO LOADER CL-016. FINDINGS: CARGO LOADER - NO KNOWN ISSUES EXIST WITH THE CARGO LOADER IN QUESTION. INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: ROOT CAUSES: INEXPERIENCE, IMPROPER USE OF CARGO LOADER. CONCLUSIONS: INCIDENT STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION BY AIR CANADA AND THE UNITED AIRLINES RAMP MANAGER.