What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) American airlines, DC-9-82, N410AA, nose #410, 09/18/07, at 23:03, was under tow to the American hangar at Boston, MA on taxiway "a" when the tow vehicle inadvertently shifted out of gear causing the tow bar to jackknife and separated from the aircraft. The aircraft then overtook the tow tug and hit the tug just below the L1 door putting a 12" x 20 inch hole in the aircraft skin approximately three feet below the L1 door. A further look at the individuals involved in this maintenance towing occurrence showed all were properly qualified. The event happened on 9/18/07 at 2303 on taxiway "a" enroute to the hangar for an overnight inspection. The towing evolution was being conducted by two amts (mechanics). From massport operations Boston ma: last night at 2310 I was requested by our operations to meet up with aa on alpha at charlie for an unknown problem. Upon my arrival I noticed an aa MD-80, tail number N410AA, under tow was damaged by the huff (tug), mpa permit #2683, tug #19629. According to the driver of the huff, privacy data omitted he was towing the aircraft when the huff, for no reason, jumped out of gear and jackknifed to the left. The huff punctured a hole into the fuselage of the aircraft approximately 3 feet below L1 passenger door. The tow bar was bent but no visual damage to the huff. The nose wheel of the aircraft was checked and appeared to be without damage. Alpha taxiway between charlie and foxtrot was closed. Emts were called to check the driver of the huff who was shaken up but was not transported. State police were on scene and the FAA communications center advised. FAA released the aircraft and will be here in the morning to inspect the aircraft. The aircraft was hooked up with a new tug and tow bar and towed to American airlines hangar. Alpha taxiway between charlie and foxtrot reopened. The huff will be inspected by aa maintenance to determine what caused it to slip out of gear. Inspector's statement: inspected both the tow bar and tractor and can clearly see what happened. The transmission did an inadvertent shift to low gear causing the tow bar shear pin to shear. The aircraft was still under tow and impacted the side of the tractor before the brake rider could apply the brakes. The tractor driver was not able to alert the brake rider as the headset was jerked off his head when the tow tractor lurched. Both individuals were qualified for the evolution. Apparently the transmission was rebuilt or assembled wrong causing the gears to slip, down shift and slip out of gear prematurely.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AMERICAN AIRLINES, DC-9-82, N410AA, NOSE #410, 09/18/07, AT 23:03, WAS UNDER TOW TO THE AMERICAN HANGAR AT BOSTON, MA ON TAXIWAY "A" WHEN THE TOW VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR CAUSING THE TOW BAR TO JACKKNIFE AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN OVERTOOK THE TOW TUG AND HIT THE TUG JUST BELOW THE L1 DOOR PUTTING A 12" X 20 INCH HOLE IN THE AIRCRAFT SKIN APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET BELOW THE L1 DOOR. A FURTHER LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THIS MAINTENANCE TOWING OCCURRENCE SHOWED ALL WERE PROPERLY QUALIFIED. THE EVENT HAPPENED ON 9/18/07 AT 2303 ON TAXIWAY "A" ENROUTE TO THE HANGAR FOR AN OVERNIGHT INSPECTION. THE TOWING EVOLUTION WAS BEING CONDUCTED BY TWO AMTS (MECHANICS). FROM MASSPORT OPERATIONS BOSTON MA: LAST NIGHT AT 2310 I WAS REQUESTED BY OUR OPERATIONS TO MEET UP WITH AA ON ALPHA AT CHARLIE FOR AN UNKNOWN PROBLEM. UPON MY ARRIVAL I NOTICED AN AA MD-80, TAIL NUMBER N410AA, UNDER TOW WAS DAMAGED BY THE HUFF (TUG), MPA PERMIT #2683, TUG #19629. ACCORDING TO THE DRIVER OF THE HUFF, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HE WAS TOWING THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE HUFF, FOR NO REASON, JUMPED OUT OF GEAR AND JACKKNIFED TO THE LEFT. THE HUFF PUNCTURED A HOLE INTO THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET BELOW L1 PASSENGER DOOR. THE TOW BAR WAS BENT BUT NO VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE HUFF. THE NOSE WHEEL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CHECKED AND APPEARED TO BE WITHOUT DAMAGE. ALPHA TAXIWAY BETWEEN CHARLIE AND FOXTROT WAS CLOSED. EMTS WERE CALLED TO CHECK THE DRIVER OF THE HUFF WHO WAS SHAKEN UP BUT WAS NOT TRANSPORTED. STATE POLICE WERE ON SCENE AND THE FAA COMMUNICATIONS CENTER ADVISED. FAA RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT AND WILL BE HERE IN THE MORNING TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOOKED UP WITH A NEW TUG AND TOW BAR AND TOWED TO AMERICAN AIRLINES HANGAR. ALPHA TAXIWAY BETWEEN CHARLIE AND FOXTROT REOPENED. THE HUFF WILL BE INSPECTED BY AA MAINTENANCE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED IT TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR. INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: INSPECTED BOTH THE TOW BAR AND TRACTOR AND CAN CLEARLY SEE WHAT HAPPENED. THE TRANSMISSION DID AN INADVERTENT SHIFT TO LOW GEAR CAUSING THE TOW BAR SHEAR PIN TO SHEAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL UNDER TOW AND IMPACTED THE SIDE OF THE TRACTOR BEFORE THE BRAKE RIDER COULD APPLY THE BRAKES. THE TRACTOR DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO ALERT THE BRAKE RIDER AS THE HEADSET WAS JERKED OFF HIS HEAD WHEN THE TOW TRACTOR LURCHED. BOTH INDIVIDUALS WERE QUALIFIED FOR THE EVOLUTION. APPARENTLY THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT OR ASSEMBLED WRONG CAUSING THE GEARS TO SLIP, DOWN SHIFT AND SLIP OUT OF GEAR PREMATURELY.
Other reports on N410AA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.