What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Overview
On September 4, 2023, at the Wilmington International Airport, (ilm) Wilmington, north carolina, a lavatory service vehicle in the process of servicing privacy data omitted. Aircraft privacy data omitted struck a privacy data omitted airlines ramp employee and pinned the employee against the privacy data omittedairlines aircraft. The aircraft was scheduled to fly, from (ilm) Wilmington, NC to charlotte Douglas international airport (clt), charlotte, NC at 0645 EDT as flight privacy data omitted.
The privacy data omitted airlines employee was admitted to the hospital with severe injuries.
Discussion
The injured employee works for privacy data omitted airlines which is contracted by privacy data omittedairlines, inc. to provide ground services in preparation of part 121 operations. The aircraft, privacy data omittedinvolved in the accident, is a CL-600-2D24 (crj 900) which carries 76 passengers and 4 flight crew members. The aircraft was parked at the terminal gate 9. There were no passengers on the aircraft at the time of the accident.
The aircraft was damaged and removed from service.
Subsequent investigation
After review of statements from team members involved in the incident, it was determined that the injured employee was standing between the fuselage of the aircraft and a lavatory service vehicle being guided into position to service the aft lavatory on the subject aircraft. The driver of the lavatory vehichle stated that his foot slipped off the break pedal and depressed the accelerator causing the lavatory service vehicle to reverse pinning the injured team member between the lavatory service panel and the vehicle. Injuries to the head, neck and face of the team member resulting in severe bleeding and multiple fractures were reported. The injured employee was hospitalized for a period of over 48 hours.
Two contributing factors:
1. It was noted that the driver of the lavatory truck was wearing boots that were extremely worn down and smooth on the bottom.
2. privacy data omitted Ground handling manual (egom) section 2.7.2 does not have a specific caution or warning about standing directly behind a vehicle being backed up to an aircraft. It only says they must maintain visual contact with the driver.
Reccomendations:
A reccomendation is being sent to the egom committee that they add a warning to the manual about standing directly behind the vehicle they are guiding.
A reccomendation that a safety risk assessment is done on personal equipment for each team member including footwear.
As the FAA filed it
OVERVIEW
ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2023, AT THE WILMINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, (ILM) WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, A LAVATORY SERVICE VEHICLE IN THE PROCESS OF SERVICING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STRUCK A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRLINES RAMP EMPLOYEE AND PINNED THE EMPLOYEE AGAINST THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AIRLINES AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY, FROM (ILM) WILMINGTON, NC TO CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CLT), CHARLOTTE, NC AT 0645 EDT AS FLIGHT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRLINES EMPLOYEE WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SEVERE INJURIES.
DISCUSSION
THE INJURED EMPLOYEE WORKS FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRLINES WHICH IS CONTRACTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AIRLINES, INC. TO PROVIDE GROUND SERVICES IN PREPARATION OF PART 121 OPERATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT, IS A CL-600-2D24 (CRJ 900) WHICH CARRIES 76 PASSENGERS AND 4 FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED AT THE TERMINAL GATE 9. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ON THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED AND REMOVED FROM SERVICE.
SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION
AFTER REVIEW OF STATEMENTS FROM TEAM MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INJURED EMPLOYEE WAS STANDING BETWEEN THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND A LAVATORY SERVICE VEHICLE BEING GUIDED INTO POSITION TO SERVICE THE AFT LAVATORY ON THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT. THE DRIVER OF THE LAVATORY VEHICHLE STATED THAT HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BREAK PEDAL AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR CAUSING THE LAVATORY SERVICE VEHICLE TO REVERSE PINNING THE INJURED TEAM MEMBER BETWEEN THE LAVATORY SERVICE PANEL AND THE VEHICLE. INJURIES TO THE HEAD, NECK AND FACE OF THE TEAM MEMBER RESULTING IN SEVERE BLEEDING AND MULTIPLE FRACTURES WERE REPORTED. THE INJURED EMPLOYEE WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR A PERIOD OF OVER 48 HOURS.
TWO CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
1. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE DRIVER OF THE LAVATORY TRUCK WAS WEARING BOOTS THAT WERE EXTREMELY WORN DOWN AND SMOOTH ON THE BOTTOM.
2. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ GROUND HANDLING MANUAL (EGOM) SECTION 2.7.2 DOES NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC CAUTION OR WARNING ABOUT STANDING DIRECTLY BEHIND A VEHICLE BEING BACKED UP TO AN AIRCRAFT. IT ONLY SAYS THEY MUST MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER.
RECCOMENDATIONS:
A RECCOMENDATION IS BEING SENT TO THE EGOM COMMITTEE THAT THEY ADD A WARNING TO THE MANUAL ABOUT STANDING DIRECTLY BEHIND THE VEHICLE THEY ARE GUIDING.
A RECCOMENDATION THAT A SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT IS DONE ON PERSONAL EQUIPMENT FOR EACH TEAM MEMBER INCLUDING FOOTWEAR.