What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11/29/09, at approximately 07:09 MST, a fedx DC-10 taxiing north on h clipped the right winglet of a swaa B-737. The top half of the winglet was severed off of the 737 and the DC-10 incurred minor damage to the leading edge of the left wing slat approximately 4-5 feet inboard .prior to the incident the swaa #5506 requested a push-back clearance at gate B13 from slc ATCT. They were instructed "cleared to push, start engines your discretion, advise ready to taxi". The tug operator pushed the aircraft back to an area which afforded clearance for the wings to clear any obstacles at which time the aircraft was turned approximately 90 degrees which placed the nose of the aircraft heading north. However, this position left the nose wheel on the line which separates the non-movement area (ramp) and taxiway h. this placed the right half of the fuselage and the right wing portruding into taxiway h. approximately 5 minutes after swaa was issued the push back a fedx DC-10, flight #fdx 876 was cleared from the south cargo ramp to 16L via h. as the DC-10 approached the 737 the crew was unaware that the left wing of the DC-10 did not have enough clearance to miss the right wing of the 737 and the winglet on the 737 was cut-off. The DC-10 crew was unaware of the incident until the swaa crew reported it to ATC. The DC-10 was then instructed to proceed to rwy 16L and return to the fedx ramp. The visual conditions were VMC but it was fairly dark which left the DC-10 crew with impaired vision. They knew that they had the clearance for h and that ATC would not allow them to proceed with the taxi if there was anything that would result in an incident, such as occurred. The investigation revealed that the ATCT was unaware that, in many instances, the swaa 737 must enter taxi-way h, to some extent or another, in order to have the clearance to swing the aircraft into a position to request and proceed for taxi on h.post incident, swaa, slc ATCT and slc airports, have developed a new procedure to prevent a reoccurrance of this type of incident. Basically, swaa has published instructions to their crews that they must request a push clearance and to expect some delay prior to push if another aircraft is on h at which time ATC will clear them to push. Due to the possible confusion on the part of the swaa crew and the fedx crew and the limited vision present at the time and the swaa crews being handled and pushed as was customery from past practice, it was determined not approriate to violate the crews or operators. This report is related to slc ATCT report, #SLC-ATCT-031 and slc airport police report #210407.
As the FAA filed it
ON 11/29/09, AT APPROXIMATELY 07:09 MST, A FEDX DC-10 TAXIING NORTH ON H CLIPPED THE RIGHT WINGLET OF A SWAA B-737. THE TOP HALF OF THE WINGLET WAS SEVERED OFF OF THE 737 AND THE DC-10 INCURRED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING SLAT APPROXIMATELY 4-5 FEET INBOARD .PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE SWAA #5506 REQUESTED A PUSH-BACK CLEARANCE AT GATE B13 FROM SLC ATCT. THEY WERE INSTRUCTED "CLEARED TO PUSH, START ENGINES YOUR DISCRETION, ADVISE READY TO TAXI". THE TUG OPERATOR PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO AN AREA WHICH AFFORDED CLEARANCE FOR THE WINGS TO CLEAR ANY OBSTACLES AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS TURNED APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES WHICH PLACED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT HEADING NORTH. HOWEVER, THIS POSITION LEFT THE NOSE WHEEL ON THE LINE WHICH SEPARATES THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA (RAMP) AND TAXIWAY H. THIS PLACED THE RIGHT HALF OF THE FUSELAGE AND THE RIGHT WING PORTRUDING INTO TAXIWAY H. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER SWAA WAS ISSUED THE PUSH BACK A FEDX DC-10, FLIGHT #FDX 876 WAS CLEARED FROM THE SOUTH CARGO RAMP TO 16L VIA H. AS THE DC-10 APPROACHED THE 737 THE CREW WAS UNAWARE THAT THE LEFT WING OF THE DC-10 DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH CLEARANCE TO MISS THE RIGHT WING OF THE 737 AND THE WINGLET ON THE 737 WAS CUT-OFF. THE DC-10 CREW WAS UNAWARE OF THE INCIDENT UNTIL THE SWAA CREW REPORTED IT TO ATC. THE DC-10 WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED TO RWY 16L AND RETURN TO THE FEDX RAMP. THE VISUAL CONDITIONS WERE VMC BUT IT WAS FAIRLY DARK WHICH LEFT THE DC-10 CREW WITH IMPAIRED VISION. THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD THE CLEARANCE FOR H AND THAT ATC WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO PROCEED WITH THE TAXI IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WOULD RESULT IN AN INCIDENT, SUCH AS OCCURRED.THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ATCT WAS UNAWARE THAT, IN MANY INSTANCES, THE SWAA 737 MUST ENTER TAXI-WAY H, TO SOME EXTENT OR ANOTHER, IN ORDER TO HAVE THE CLEARANCE TO SWING THE AIRCRAFT INTO A POSITION TO REQUEST AND PROCEED FOR TAXI ON H.POST INCIDENT, SWAA, SLC ATCT AND SLC AIRPORTS, HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW PROCEDURE TO PREVENT A REOCCURRANCE OF THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT. BASICALLY, SWAA HAS PUBLISHED INSTRUCTIONS TO THEIR CREWS THAT THEY MUST REQUEST A PUSH CLEARANCE AND TO EXPECT SOME DELAY PRIOR TO PUSH IF ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IS ON H AT WHICH TIME ATC WILL CLEAR THEM TO PUSH.DUE TO THE POSSIBLE CONFUSION ON THE PART OF THE SWAA CREW AND THE FEDX CREW AND THE LIMITED VISION PRESENT AT THE TIME AND THE SWAA CREWS BEING HANDLED AND PUSHED AS WAS CUSTOMERY FROM PAST PRACTICE, IT WAS DETERMINED NOT APPRORIATE TO VIOLATE THE CREWS OR OPERATORS. THIS REPORT IS RELATED TO SLC ATCT REPORT, #SLC-ATCT-031 AND SLC AIRPORT POLICE REPORT #210407.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.