What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 22, 2011 at approximately 1435 local time swaa aircraft N469WN was struck by a snow plow while parked at gate C29 at den. Weather conditions were reported as light snow fall with fair visibility at the time. Swaa flight 575 was in the process of boarding passengers, but no injuries were reported. The aircraft sustained damage on the fuselage under the leading edge of the LH horizontal stabilizer to include several punctures and dents in the aircraft skin and a severed stringer (S17L). An entry was created on aircraft log page 7364606 item 1 stating "while parked at gate, tail section was struck by snow plow".swaa initially notified naas, a contract maintenance provider, but the damage was determined to be outside of their capabilities. A team of swaa mechanics was later dispatched from phoenix and began work on the aircraft at about 0100 on December 23, 2011 to make the aircraft ready for a ferry flight. Engineering authorization 1-753-18121 was being utilized and the supervisor of the team stated they were waiting on another part of the engineering authorization for the final repair instructions. The supervisor was anticipating that they would conduct several conditional inspections to include the nose landing gear, a side-load inspection and a general visual inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 22, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 1435 LOCAL TIME SWAA AIRCRAFT N469WN WAS STRUCK BY A SNOW PLOW WHILE PARKED AT GATE C29 AT DEN. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AS LIGHT SNOW FALL WITH FAIR VISIBILITY AT THE TIME. SWAA FLIGHT 575 WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BOARDING PASSENGERS, BUT NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE ON THE FUSELAGE UNDER THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LH HORIZONTAL STABILIZER TO INCLUDE SEVERAL PUNCTURES AND DENTS IN THE AIRCRAFT SKIN AND A SEVERED STRINGER (S17L). AN ENTRY WAS CREATED ON AIRCRAFT LOG PAGE 7364606 ITEM 1 STATING "WHILE PARKED AT GATE, TAIL SECTION WAS STRUCK BY SNOW PLOW".SWAA INITIALLY NOTIFIED NAAS, A CONTRACT MAINTENANCE PROVIDER, BUT THE DAMAGE WAS DETERMINED TO BE OUTSIDE OF THEIR CAPABILITIES. A TEAM OF SWAA MECHANICS WAS LATER DISPATCHED FROM PHOENIX AND BEGAN WORK ON THE AIRCRAFT AT ABOUT 0100 ON DECEMBER 23, 2011 TO MAKE THE AIRCRAFT READY FOR A FERRY FLIGHT. ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION 1-753-18121 WAS BEING UTILIZED AND THE SUPERVISOR OF THE TEAM STATED THEY WERE WAITING ON ANOTHER PART OF THE ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION FOR THE FINAL REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS. THE SUPERVISOR WAS ANTICIPATING THAT THEY WOULD CONDUCT SEVERAL CONDITIONAL INSPECTIONS TO INCLUDE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, A SIDE-LOAD INSPECTION AND A GENERAL VISUAL INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.