OpenAirDocs.org

20140313002389I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Airbus A-340 · Dulles, VA · March 13, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 13, 2014 · 17:20 local
Place
Dulles, VA
Airport
Washington Dulles Internationa
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
Foreign air carrier (Part 129)
Operator
SOFF
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
Z-SSXG
Reported as
Airbus A-340
People aboard
216
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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.

On 3/12/14 at 1720 a swissport ramp employee drove a beltloader from avianca gate to the south african gate. As he approached the right side of the sa aircraft he was instructed to position the beltloader at the aft bulk pit. Driver was being marshalled by another ramp agent. When he came to the final stop about 2 feet from aircraft the marshaller instructed him to raise the belt. While raising the belt the driver said he had his right foot on the brake. After the belt was raised the marshaller instructed the driver to come forward and turn slightly to the right. The driver put his foot on the gas pedal and the beltloader accelerated towards and under the aircraft. The marshaller jumped out of the way and was not injured. The driver stopped the beltloader after it had gone under the aircraft and struck the under portion of the fuselage causing minor damage.

Note: at some point during this operation the beltloader operator put the gear shift in neutral. When the driver put the beltloader back into gear he started moving forward and actually hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

As the FAA filed it

ON 3/12/14 AT 1720 A SWISSPORT RAMP EMPLOYEE DROVE A BELTLOADER FROM AVIANCA GATE TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN GATE. AS HE APPROACHED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SA AIRCRAFT HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO POSITION THE BELTLOADER AT THE AFT BULK PIT. DRIVER WAS BEING MARSHALLED BY ANOTHER RAMP AGENT. WHEN HE CAME TO THE FINAL STOP ABOUT 2 FEET FROM AIRCRAFT THE MARSHALLER INSTRUCTED HIM TO RAISE THE BELT. WHILE RAISING THE BELT THE DRIVER SAID HE HAD HIS RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE. AFTER THE BELT WAS RAISED THE MARSHALLER INSTRUCTED THE DRIVER TO COME FORWARD AND TURN SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT. THE DRIVER PUT HIS FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE BELTLOADER ACCELERATED TOWARDS AND UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. THE MARSHALLER JUMPED OUT OF THE WAY AND WAS NOT INJURED. THE DRIVER STOPPED THE BELTLOADER AFTER IT HAD GONE UNDER THE AIRCRAFT AND STRUCK THE UNDER PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE.

NOTE: AT SOME POINT DURING THIS OPERATION THE BELTLOADER OPERATOR PUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN NEUTRAL. WHEN THE DRIVER PUT THE BELTLOADER BACK INTO GEAR HE STARTED MOVING FORWARD AND ACTUALLY HIT THE ACCELERATOR INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE.