20141106020149I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Embraer ERJ 170-100SU · Lga, NY · November 6, 2014

Date: November 6, 2014 · 11:30 local
Place: Lga, NY
Airport: La Guardia
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: UHLA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N873RW
Reported as: Embraer ERJ 170-100SU
Reported engine: GE CF34-8E5
People aboard: 0
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.

The aircraft arrived at Lga with the APU and cross bleed valve on MEL. Maintenance used an air start machine to start the engine. This procedure requires the mechanic to manually open/close the valve with a wrench. After the #2 engine was started, the mechanic was unable to make his wrench fit on the valve nut. The mechanic went to get another wrench, walking 2 feet in front of the #2 running engine. The mechanic was sucked into the intake of the running engine. The mechanic was able to hold himself at the intake his id was sucked through the engine fan duct and his jacket was torn. The mechanic on headset to the crew told them to shut the engine down and this was immediately complied with. The mechanic was visibly shaken but sustained no injury.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT LGA WITH THE APU AND CROSS BLEED VALVE ON MEL. MAINTENANCE USED AN AIR START MACHINE TO START THE ENGINE. THIS PROCEDURE REQUIRES THE MECHANIC TO MANUALLY OPEN/CLOSE THE VALVE WITH A WRENCH. AFTER THE #2 ENGINE WAS STARTED, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO MAKE HIS WRENCH FIT ON THE VALVE NUT. THE MECHANIC WENT TO GET ANOTHER WRENCH, WALKING 2 FEET IN FRONT OF THE #2 RUNNING ENGINE. THE MECHANIC WAS SUCKED INTO THE INTAKE OF THE RUNNING ENGINE. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO HOLD HIMSELF AT THE INTAKE HIS ID WAS SUCKED THROUGH THE ENGINE FAN DUCT AND HIS JACKET WAS TORN. THE MECHANIC ON HEADSET TO THE CREW TOLD THEM TO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED WITH. THE MECHANIC WAS VISIBLY SHAKEN BUT SUSTAINED NO INJURY.