# Accident 20101218054602A: Boeing 737-7H4, Philadelphia, PA, December 18, 2010 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 18, 2010, 11:10 local time - Place: Philadelphia, PA - Airport: Philadelphia International - Damage: Substantial damage - Collision: Collision on the ground - Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma - Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121) - Operator: SWAA - Location: 39.8722° N, 75.2408° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8722&lon=-75.2408&mi=10 - Aircraft: N913WN, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N913WN) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Boeing 737-7H4 (registry code 1384404, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-7h4) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: CFM International CFM56-7B24 series (registry code 13044, https://openairdocs.org/engine/cfm-international-cfm56-7b24-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 737-7H4 - Reported engine: CFM INTL CFM56-7B24 - People aboard: 98 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 7,101 in this make and model, 131 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA11CA014](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA11CA014) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101218054602A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON DECEMBER 18, 2010, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES (SWA) FLIGHT 3944 (N650SW) RECEIVED CLEARANCE FROM PHL RAMP CONTROL 2 FOR PUSHBACK FROM GATE E-11 AT 1103 EST. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PUSHED ONTO THE CENTERLINE FOR THE EAST TAXIWAY BETWEEN TERMINALS E & F AND DISCONNECTED FROM THE PUSHBACK TUG. AT 11:06 EST, SWA FLIGHT 2592 (N913WN) CALLED FOR AND RECEIVED PUSH CLEARANCE FROM GATE E-9 FROM PHL RAMP CONTROL 2. AIRCRAFT N650SW WAS POSITIONED ON THE TAXIWAY CENTERLINE BEHIND GATE E-9 WITH BOTH ENGINES RUNNING, PARKING BRAKE SET AND CALLED RAMP 2 FOR TAXI CLEARANCE AT 11:06 EST (APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS AFTER N913WN'S CALL FOR PUSH CLEARANCE). AS N913WN WAS BEING PUSHED IN A TURN TO ALIGN WITH THE CENTERLINE OF THE TAXIWAY WITH #2 ENGINE RUNNING, ITS AFT LEFT WING STUCK THE RIGHT WINGLET OF N650SW. THE LOWER LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF N913WN ALSO CONTACTED THE TOP OF THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF N650SW. THE STABILIZER DAMAGE APPEARED TO CONSIST MOSTLY OF PAINT TRANSFER. THE DAMAGE TO N650SW APPEARED TO BE CONFINED TO THE WINGLET. THE DAMAGE TO N913WN WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND RESULTED IN A BREACH OF THE FUEL SURGE TANK AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE REAR SPAR OF THE LEFT WING. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES ON EITHER AIRCRAFT TO THE PASSENGERS. THE TAPES FROM RAMP 2 RECORDED THE CLEARANCE GIVEN TO THE FLIGHT CREW OF N913WN AS "PUSH APPROVED, CALL FOR TAXI." THE FLIGHT CREW CONVEYED THIS INFORMATION TO THE PUSH CREW. DURING INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH ON-SCENE WITNESSES AND THE PUSH CREW FOR N913WN, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS LOSS OF COMMUNICATION AND/OR VISUAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE TUG DRIVER AND WING WALKER. THE WING WALKER WAS AWARE OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE ALLEY BEHIND N913WN AND WAS SIGNALING FOR THE TUG DRIVER TO STOP THE PUSH. THE TUG DRIVER STATED THAT WHILE HE KNEW THE APPROXIMATE POSITION OF AIRCRAFT IN THE ALLEY, HE COULD NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT FROM HIS POSITION AND HE COMMENCED HIS PUSH ONCE HE RECEIVED THE PUSH CLEARANCE FROM THE FLIGHT CREW. THE BREAKDOWN IN THIS VITAL LINK BETWEEN THE WING WALKER AND THE TUG DRIVER CONTRIBUTED TO THE COLLISION OF THESE TWO AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO REPORT OF THE COLLISION TO PHL OPERATIONS, RAMP 2 OR ANY REQUESTS MADE FOR PHILADELPHIA FIRE AND RESCUE RESPONSE. APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AFTER THE COLLISION, THE AIRCRAFT WERE TOWED APART AND BACK TO THE GATE WITH PASSENGERS ON-BOARD. THIS ACCIDENT HIGHLIGHTS SEVERAL CONCERNS OVER POST-ACCIDENT PASSENGER SAFETY PROCEDURES AND POSSIBLE BREAKDOWNS IN NOTIFICATION AND COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES. THESE ITEMS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE APPROPRIATE ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR REVIEW AND ACTION. SEE RELATED ATQA# AEA1710036 FOR N650SW ## Other aircraft in the event - N650SW, Boeing 737-3H4: [Accident 20101218054652A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101218054652A) ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB DCA11CA014](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA11CA014), Dec 18, 2010: Boeing 737-7H4 (N913WN), Philadelphia, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the failure of the ground operations personnel to maintain awareness of the relative position of the two airplanes. ## Other reports on N913WN (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20130510007111A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130510007111A), May 10, 2013: Boeing 737-7H4 (N913WN), Phoenix, AZ, Substantial damage. Swaa N913NW was pushed back from the passenger loading gate when the right wing tip winglet contacted the left hand horizontal leading edge of another parked… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.