What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At approximately 2105L, Thursday, March 29, 2007 an airtran airways B-717-200 aircraft struck a stationary galley service truck during pushback from gate D-1 at Atlanta's Hartsfield-jackson international airport. The aircraft suffered minor damage to the left wing tip and navigation lights. No injuries occurred and the passengers transferred to another aircraft. The investigation revealed that the aircraft had received proper clearance for pushback for ramp 4 tower and was under the control of an adequately trained and qualified airtran tug driver with two required wing-walker assistants. According to procedures, the PIC had illuminated the anti-collision light indicating the aircraft was to begin movement. Neither pilot had knowledge of the galley service truck during any part of the push-back operation until they felt a jolt and advised that the incident occurred. The pic's stated the aircraft was located on gate D1A, which is the labeling on the outside of the jetway, but the actual gate is D1 as correctly labeled in the terminal building. Written statements describe the pushback beginning and both wing-walkers had repositioned themselves to the rear and on either side of the aircraft to clear the path across the ramp roadway according to their procedures. The service truck then attempted to drive between this aircraft and an aircraft parked at the neighboring gate, D-1A. The galley service truck driver reported that once his truck visually cleared the left wingtip of the incident aircraft, he stopped to allow his own guide/passenger to reboard the service truck. The left wing-walker subsequently noticed the close proximity of the catering truck, then hurried forward to visually (crossed lighted wands) and audibly (shouts) warn the tug driver of impending collision. The tug driver reported observing the wing-walker's warning and immediately applied the tug brakes to stop but with unsufficient time to avert striking the left and rear wing-tip/position light area. Airtran airway's corporate safety department investigated this incident, collecting statements from the individuals involved and will be forwarding their conclusion in the near future.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 2105L, THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2007 AN AIRTRAN AIRWAYS B-717-200 AIRCRAFT STRUCK A STATIONARY GALLEY SERVICE TRUCK DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE D-1 AT ATLANTA'S HARTSFIELD-JACKSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING TIP AND NAVIGATION LIGHTS. NO INJURIES OCCURRED AND THE PASSENGERS TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD RECEIVED PROPER CLEARANCE FOR PUSHBACK FOR RAMP 4 TOWER AND WAS UNDER THE CONTROL OF AN ADEQUATELY TRAINED AND QUALIFIED AIRTRAN TUG DRIVER WITH TWO REQUIRED WING-WALKER ASSISTANTS. ACCORDING TO PROCEDURES, THE PIC HAD ILLUMINATED THE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO BEGIN MOVEMENT. NEITHER PILOT HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE GALLEY SERVICE TRUCK DURING ANY PART OF THE PUSH-BACK OPERATION UNTIL THEY FELT A JOLT AND ADVISED THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PIC'S STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON GATE D1A, WHICH IS THE LABELING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE JETWAY, BUT THE ACTUAL GATE IS D1 AS CORRECTLY LABELED IN THE TERMINAL BUILDING. WRITTEN STATEMENTS DESCRIBE THE PUSHBACK BEGINNING AND BOTH WING-WALKERS HAD REPOSITIONED THEMSELVES TO THE REAR AND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO CLEAR THE PATH ACROSS THE RAMP ROADWAY ACCORDING TO THEIR PROCEDURES. THE SERVICE TRUCK THEN ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE BETWEEN THIS AIRCRAFT AND AN AIRCRAFT PARKED AT THE NEIGHBORING GATE, D-1A. THE GALLEY SERVICE TRUCK DRIVER REPORTED THAT ONCE HIS TRUCK VISUALLY CLEARED THE LEFT WINGTIP OF THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT, HE STOPPED TO ALLOW HIS OWN GUIDE/PASSENGER TO REBOARD THE SERVICE TRUCK. THE LEFT WING-WALKER SUBSEQUENTLY NOTICED THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE CATERING TRUCK, THEN HURRIED FORWARD TO VISUALLY (CROSSED LIGHTED WANDS) AND AUDIBLY (SHOUTS) WARN THE TUG DRIVER OF IMPENDING COLLISION. THE TUG DRIVER REPORTED OBSERVING THE WING-WALKER'S WARNING AND IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE TUG BRAKES TO STOP BUT WITH UNSUFFICIENT TIME TO AVERT STRIKING THE LEFT AND REAR WING-TIP/POSITION LIGHT AREA. AIRTRAN AIRWAY'S CORPORATE SAFETY DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT, COLLECTING STATEMENTS FROM THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED AND WILL BE FORWARDING THEIR CONCLUSION IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
Other reports on N974AT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.