20230523005619I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83) · Fort Lauderdale, FL · May 23, 2023

Date: May 23, 2023 · 23:30 local
Place: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: FXGA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N965CE
Reported as: Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83)
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 16,298 total

N965CERegistered now · Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83)S/N 53079 · Built 1992 Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83)Engine modelPratt & Whitney JT8D seriesTurbo-jet

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 incident occurred during nighttime with thunderstorms in the area. The aircraft taxied off of taxiway alpha to the parking area. On the left and right sides of the entrance to the parking area are fence posts that are approximately 9 to 10 feet tall illuminated with red lights. The aircraft was marshaled into the parking area. The marshaler then moved into position to marshal the aircraft into its final parking position. The captain made sure they were clear of the illuminated posts then began to turn into position for parking. The crew felt the aircraft shudder and stopped immediately, set the brake, and shut down both engines. The left wingtip had made contact with an unlighted electric gate which was not fully opened. The gate itself is not lit nor does it have reflective tape.

As the FAA filed it

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING NIGHTTIME WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED OFF OF TAXIWAY ALPHA TO THE PARKING AREA. ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING AREA ARE FENCE POSTS THAT ARE APPROXIMATELY 9 TO 10 FEET TALL ILLUMINATED WITH RED LIGHTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MARSHALED INTO THE PARKING AREA. THE MARSHALER THEN MOVED INTO POSITION TO MARSHAL THE AIRCRAFT INTO ITS FINAL PARKING POSITION. THE CAPTAIN MADE SURE THEY WERE CLEAR OF THE ILLUMINATED POSTS THEN BEGAN TO TURN INTO POSITION FOR PARKING. THE CREW FELT THE AIRCRAFT SHUDDER AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY, SET THE BRAKE, AND SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES. THE LEFT WINGTIP HAD MADE CONTACT WITH AN UNLIGHTED ELECTRIC GATE WHICH WAS NOT FULLY OPENED. THE GATE ITSELF IS NOT LIT NOR DOES IT HAVE REFLECTIVE TAPE.