What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Approximately 1608L southwest aircraft N8635F while attempting to taxi into kstl gate E31 struck wow air flight 168 registration tf-dtr . N8635F left winglet struck the trailing edge of wow air aircraft tf-dtr right winglet trailing edge. The wow air aircraft was parked at gate E29 preparing for departure. Ground support personnel stated that the wow aircraft was parked incorrectly on the Boeing 777 lead-in line rather than the A321 lead-in line. This fact was confirmed by southwest and airport terminal services personnel (ats). Ats manager stated ats personnel towed the wow aircraft to the gate earlier and placed the aircraft on 777 lead in line due to equipment preventing the aircraft from parking on the A321 lead in line. This caused the aircraft to be several feet closer to gate E31 and placed the wow aircraft inside of the gate E31 safety zone. Southwest airlines only had a marshaller at the nose of the aircraft and no wingwalkers to monitor wingtip clearance at the time of the incident. The marshaller when interviewed stated that he did give the captain a stop signal when the aircraft was 5 to 10 feet from colliding. The southwest aircraft was unable to brake in time before the collision. Damage to the southwest aircraft consisted of dents in the leading edge of the left wing winglet. The leading edge of the southwest winglet embedded into the trailing edge of the winglet on the wow aircraft. This caused a tear in the composite material of several inches at the trailing edge base of the right winglet.
As the FAA filed it
APPROXIMATELY 1608L SOUTHWEST AIRCRAFT N8635F WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAXI INTO KSTL GATE E31 STRUCK WOW AIR FLIGHT 168 REGISTRATION TF-DTR . N8635F LEFT WINGLET STRUCK THE TRAILING EDGE OF WOW AIR AIRCRAFT TF-DTR RIGHT WINGLET TRAILING EDGE. THE WOW AIR AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED AT GATE E29 PREPARING FOR DEPARTURE. GROUND SUPPORT PERSONNEL STATED THAT THE WOW AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED INCORRECTLY ON THE BOEING 777 LEAD-IN LINE RATHER THAN THE A321 LEAD-IN LINE. THIS FACT WAS CONFIRMED BY SOUTHWEST AND AIRPORT TERMINAL SERVICES PERSONNEL (ATS). ATS MANAGER STATED ATS PERSONNEL TOWED THE WOW AIRCRAFT TO THE GATE EARLIER AND PLACED THE AIRCRAFT ON 777 LEAD IN LINE DUE TO EQUIPMENT PREVENTING THE AIRCRAFT FROM PARKING ON THE A321 LEAD IN LINE. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE SEVERAL FEET CLOSER TO GATE E31 AND PLACED THE WOW AIRCRAFT INSIDE OF THE GATE E31 SAFETY ZONE. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ONLY HAD A MARSHALLER AT THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND NO WINGWALKERS TO MONITOR WINGTIP CLEARANCE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE MARSHALLER WHEN INTERVIEWED STATED THAT HE DID GIVE THE CAPTAIN A STOP SIGNAL WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS 5 TO 10 FEET FROM COLLIDING. THE SOUTHWEST AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE IN TIME BEFORE THE COLLISION. DAMAGE TO THE SOUTHWEST AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF DENTS IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING WINGLET. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SOUTHWEST WINGLET EMBEDDED INTO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WINGLET ON THE WOW AIRCRAFT. THIS CAUSED A TEAR IN THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL OF SEVERAL INCHES AT THE TRAILING EDGE BASE OF THE RIGHT WINGLET.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.