# Incident 20170906022759I: Boeing 737-824, Newark, NJ, September 6, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 6, 2017, 11:00 local time
- Place: Newark, NJ
- Airport: Newark Liberty International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: CALA
- Location: 40.6925° N, 74.1687° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at NEWARK LIBERTY INTL (EWR), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6925&lon=-74.1687&mi=10
- Aircraft: N37273, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N37273) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 737-824 (registry code 13844BZ, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-824) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: CFM International CFM56 series (registry code 13802, https://openairdocs.org/engine/cfm-international-cfm56-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 737-824
- Reported engine: CFM INTL. CFM56 SERIES
- People aboard: 156
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170906022759I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

EVENT:

?   UAL2429 WAS BEING PUSHED OFF THE GATE WHEN IT STRUCK A STATIONARY "STAIR TRUCK?. THIS TOOK PLACE ON THE NON MOVEMENT AREA. NEWARK ATCT WAS NOT SPEAKING TO ANY OF THE OPERATORS INVOLVED IN THIS SITUATION.

? N37273 (B737-800) LEFT SCIMITAR WINGLET CAME INTO CONTACT WITH DELTA AIRLINES GROUND EQUIPMENT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE SCIMITAR

ROOT CAUSE:

? ASSUMPTION THAT DELTA AIRLINE?S ONGOING OPERATION OF MAINLINE AIRCRAFT OF THE SAME GAUGE AT THIS GATE IMPLIED COMPLIANCE WITH FAA AND CORPORATE STANDARDS.

? STATION LEADERSHIP?S IMPROPER ASSUMPTION THAT GATES REVIEWED BY AERO SYSTEMS ENGINEERING MEET FAA AND CORPORATE GATE DESIGN STANDARDS BY DEFAULT

? ACCEPTANCE OF A GATE DESIGN WHICH LEFT LITTLE MARGIN OF ERROR AS RESULT OF AN AD HOC ASSESSMENT OF GATE FUNCTIONALITY VS. COMPLETION OF A DOCUMENTED RISK ASSESSMENT AND THOROUGH REVIEW OF COMPANY AND FAA GUIDELINES (FAA AC 150/5300)

? THE GATE LEAD?S FAILURE TO ALERT HIS CHAIN OF COMMAND WHEN HE FOUND THE WIRELESS HEADSETS INOPERABLE AS A RESULT OF BECOMING UN-PAIRED

? THE GATE LEAD?S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT ON THE J-LINE

CORRECTIVE ACTION:

? THE RAMP SERVICEMEN WHO WAS DRIVING PUSH TRACTOR FILE A ASAP REPORT REGARDING THE INCIDENT. THE REPORT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED AND THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN RETRAINED.

? GATE B40 AND B41 ARE CLOSED FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT AND SAFETY EVALUATION WITH ENGINEERING DESIGN FIRM AERO SYSTEMS AND AO SAFETY.

? RISK ASSESSMENT WILL BE COMPLETED FOR EACH GATE WITH AO SAFETY, CRE, ENGINEERING DESIGN FIRM (AERO), AND RS DSTS

? IN CONJUNCTION WITH AO SAFETY, SAFETY BRIEFING CHARTS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR EACH GATE THAT WILL IDENTIFY GATE RESTRICTIONS AND SAFETY HAZARDS (SEE EXAMPLE).  WILL BE DEVELOPED INTO A LAMINATED BOOK FOR ISSUE TO EACH RSS AND TL AS A REFERENCE DOCUMENT.

? CONSIDER IMPLEMENTATION OF A QUALIFICATION STANDARD FOR PUSHBACK OPERATORS

? RSS HAS BEEN ASSIGNED IMMEDIATE RESPONSIBILITY TO TRAIN RSES AND EQUIPMENT ROOM PERSONNEL HOW TO PAIR WIRELESS HEADSETS

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.

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