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20110403011519I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Embraer EMB-135KL · Dubuque, IA · April 3, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 3, 2011 · 07:23 local
Place
Dubuque, IA
Airport
Dubuque Regional
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
CHQA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N377SK
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11IA270
Reported as
Embraer EMB-135KL
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce AE-3007A1P
People aboard
44
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
6,779 total5,335 in this make and model236 in the last 90 days
N377SKRegistration cancelled Mar 30, 2018 · Embraer EMB-135KLS/N 145579 · Built 2002Airframe modelEmbraer EMB-135KLEngine modelRolls-Royce AE-3007A1PTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

With the wheels facing forward, the jet bridge was retracted away from the aircraft to its normal retracted length. The wheels were then turned 90 degrees to the left, and the jet bridge was moved to the position normally used to ensure that the departing aircraft could taxi out to the departure area unimpeded. The video of the accident shows that once the jet bridge reached that position, the wheels were turned to face forward and the jet bridge was then extended to its normal extended length. The wheels were then turned 90 degrees to the left again. This positioning of the wheels put the wheels and the wind (which was blowing at 39 KTS) parallel to each other. This positioning also put the jet bridge perpendicular to the winds. This, coupled with the fact that the brakes on the jet bridge had been disabled for winter operations, allowed the wind to push the jet bridge back into the aircraft, causing substantial damage. It was noted, during the investigation, that once the wheels on the jet bridge are in motion, the steering is disabled.

As the FAA filed it

WITH THE WHEELS FACING FORWARD, THE JET BRIDGE WAS RETRACTED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT TO ITS NORMAL RETRACTED LENGTH. THE WHEELS WERE THEN TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT, AND THE JET BRIDGE WAS MOVED TO THE POSITION NORMALLY USED TO ENSURE THAT THE DEPARTING AIRCRAFT COULD TAXI OUT TO THE DEPARTURE AREA UNIMPEDED. THE VIDEO OF THE ACCIDENT SHOWS THAT ONCE THE JET BRIDGE REACHED THAT POSITION, THE WHEELS WERE TURNED TO FACE FORWARD AND THE JET BRIDGE WAS THEN EXTENDED TO ITS NORMAL EXTENDED LENGTH. THE WHEELS WERE THEN TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AGAIN.THIS POSITIONING OF THE WHEELS PUT THE WHEELS AND THE WIND (WHICH WAS BLOWING AT 39 KTS) PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER. THIS POSITIONING ALSO PUT THE JET BRIDGE PERPENDICULAR TO THE WINDS. THIS, COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT THE BRAKES ON THE JET BRIDGE HAD BEEN DISABLED FOR WINTER OPERATIONS, ALLOWED THE WIND TO PUSH THE JET BRIDGE BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.IT WAS NOTED, DURING THE INVESTIGATION, THAT ONCE THE WHEELS ON THE JET BRIDGE ARE IN MOTION, THE STEERING IS DISABLED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN11IA270Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportDubuque, IAThe airport authorities' improper decision to deactivate the jet bridge braking system which created an unsafe condition by the gate agents not being able to stop the bridge from impacting the airplane during a wind gust.Apr 3, 2011 · Minor damage

Other reports on N377SK · 1

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

Incident 20030520009259INormal Cruise · St Louis, MO(-23) Chqa flight 5896 enroute to stl had an unruly passenger who tried to enter the cockpit. Passenger was subdued by other passengers and strapped into his seat for the duration of the flight. Aircraft landed without incident. Unruly passenger was turned…May 20, 2003