20220818008439I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Boeing 737-900ER · Seatac, WA · August 18, 2022

Date
August 18, 2022 · 10:35 local
Place
Seatac, WA
Airport
Seattle-Tacoma International
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
ASAA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N272AK
Reported as
Boeing 737-900ER
Reported engine
CFM International CFM56-7B27E
People aboard
178
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
16,331 total

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.

At 10:35AM, 8/18/22, privacy data omitted was taxiing into its assigned gate (D1) at Seatac and was being marshaled into the gate. There was a fire truck (port of Seattle) positioned in front of C3 that was responding to an inbound call at C9. The plane was making a 90 degree left turn and as the fire truck was trying to reverse to get completely out of the way of the aircraft. While in the left turn to the gate and as the fire truck was backing up, the right wing scimitar made contact with the driver side window of the fire truck, which shattered the window and bent the tip of the wing. There was a wing walker in place to monitor clearance of the right wing; however, the crew reported that they never received a signal to stop from the marshaler or wing walkers. The crew remained at the aircraft for several minutes, during the deplaning process, and never received any indication from ground crew, fire crew, or operations that a collision had occurred. The capt. did not learn of the collision until arriving home, receiving a call from his base chief pilot and returning to the airport for a debrief.

As the FAA filed it

AT 10:35AM, 8/18/22, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TAXIING INTO ITS ASSIGNED GATE (D1) AT SEATAC AND WAS BEING MARSHALED INTO THE GATE. THERE WAS A FIRE TRUCK (PORT OF SEATTLE) POSITIONED IN FRONT OF C3 THAT WAS RESPONDING TO AN INBOUND CALL AT C9. THE PLANE WAS MAKING A 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN AND AS THE FIRE TRUCK WAS TRYING TO REVERSE TO GET COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WAY OF THE AIRCRAFT. WHILE IN THE LEFT TURN TO THE GATE AND AS THE FIRE TRUCK WAS BACKING UP, THE RIGHT WING SCIMITAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW OF THE FIRE TRUCK, WHICH SHATTERED THE WINDOW AND BENT THE TIP OF THE WING. THERE WAS A WING WALKER IN PLACE TO MONITOR CLEARANCE OF THE RIGHT WING; HOWEVER, THE CREW REPORTED THAT THEY NEVER RECEIVED A SIGNAL TO STOP FROM THE MARSHALER OR WING WALKERS. THE CREW REMAINED AT THE AIRCRAFT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, DURING THE DEPLANING PROCESS, AND NEVER RECEIVED ANY INDICATION FROM GROUND CREW, FIRE CREW, OR OPERATIONS THAT A COLLISION HAD OCCURRED. THE CAPT. DID NOT LEARN OF THE COLLISION UNTIL ARRIVING HOME, RECEIVING A CALL FROM HIS BASE CHIEF PILOT AND RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT FOR A DEBRIEF.