# Incident 20091221052619I: Boeing 737-3H4, Philadelphia, PA, December 21, 2009

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 21, 2009, 09:45 local time
- Place: Philadelphia, PA
- Airport: Philadelphia International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: SWAA
- Location: 39.8721° N, 75.2407° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PHILADELPHIA INTL (PHL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8721&lon=-75.2407&mi=10
- Aircraft: N318SW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N318SW-2012-06-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 737-3H4 (registry code 138447K, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-3h4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 737-3H4
- People aboard: 141
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20091221052619I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT 2934 (PHL-MCO) WAS PUSHING OFF PHL GATE D2 AT APPROXIMATELY 09:45 EST ON 12/21/2009 WHEN THE PUSHBACK TUG STRUCK THE #1 ENGINE INLET COWL.  WITNESSES STATED THAT THE RAMP ALLEYWAY CONSISTED OF A COMPRESSED SNOW/ICE PACK OF APPROXIMATELY 2-3 INCHES IN DEPTH (THE RESULT OF A 20+ INCH SNOWFALL ON 12/19/2009).  THE PUSHBACK PROFILE FOR THIS GATE CONSISTED OF PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT TAIL FIRST INTO THE ALLEY AND TURNING IT 180 DEGREES NEAR THE AIRCRAFT RELEASE LINE FOR THE ALLEY (ABEAM GATE D6).  THE TUG DRIVER CLEARED THE CAPTAIN TO START ENGINES AND AT LEAST THE RIGHT ENGINE AND MAYBE BOTH ENGINES WERE RUNNING AT THE TIME THE GROUND CREW PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE TURN.  WHILE THE TUG WAS 90 DEGREES TO THE AIRCRAFT, THE THRUST FROM THE ENGINE(S) STARTED TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD DRAGGING THE TUG WITH THE TOW BAR STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL THE BACK OF THE TUG STRUCK THE #1 ENGINE NOSE COWL.  AS THE AIRCRAFT STARTED ITS FORWARD MOVEMENT, THE WING WALKER (WHO WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT) MOVED FORWARD TO SIGNAL THE FLIGHT CREW TO SET THE AIRCRAFT BRAKES.  AS THIS SITUATION DEVELOPED RAPIDLY, IT WAS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE CREW HAD TIME TO REACT.  THE ENGINE(S) WERE SHUTDOWN AFTER THE TUG STRUCK THE ENGINE NOSE COWL.  THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES TO GROUND PERSONNEL OR THOSE ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT. ONCE AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT HAD STOPPED, THE REAR OF THE PUSH TUG WAS AGAINST THE NOSE COWL INLET BUT STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT NOSE GEAR.  THE TOW BAR SHEAR PIN WAS SHEARED AND THE NOSE WHEELS WERE TURNED SIGNIFICANTLY PAST THE TOW LIMIT LINES PAINTED ON THE NOSE GEAR DOORS.  THE REPORTED DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF A PUNCTURE TO THE #1 ENGINE NOSE COWL AT THE 5:00 POSITION (FACING THE COWL), APPROXIMATELY 6" IN DEPTH AND 8-10" IN WIDTH, AND A DAMAGED TOW LUG ON THE NOSE GEAR.

## Other reports on N318SW (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940124003289I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940124003289I), Jan 24, 1994: Boeing 7373H4 (N318SW), Baltimore, MD. Narrative: while cruising at 370 press dumped, cabin VSI in excess of 4000 fpm unable to control in stby or manual ac outflow valve indicated full closed.…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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