What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1. An Airbus A321 aircraft struck another stationary A321 aircraft while maneuvering for predeparture de-icing purposes in the Boston airport earhart de-ice pad.
2. All of the aircraft involved were the same carrier and live part 121 operations, with passengers on board.
3. All of the aircraft were operating under their own power, with ground crew giving marshalling signals.
4. Weather was clear skies with freezing temperatures, causing overnight frost to accumulate on the aircraft, necessitating de-ice operations; accident occurred at 0647 EST.
5. Reference attachment privacy data omitted “deicing procedures” for Boston airport (10-9F).
6. There are three (3) aircraft involved in this event.
7. Aircraft “a” is a flight being de-iced.
8. Aircraft “b” is flight 551.
9. Aircraft “c” is flight 777.
The early morning weather conditions nditions in the deicing area greatly reduced the visibility of the marking for guidance
10. Aircraft "a was in spot D1 undergoing de-icing.
11. Aircraft "b" arrived after de-icing was started on aircraft "a" and was directed into spot D2 by the “follow me” vehicle. This aircraft was not properly positioned in D2 due to conditions hindering the view of the stop lines, resulting in aircraft b being short of this line by approximately 35 feet. As a result the tail end of aircraft "b" extended into the taxiing zone behind it.
12. Aircraft "c" was waiting “on deck” for de-icing. When aircraft "a" completed their de-icing, they moved out of the D1 spot, which opened up this space for aircraft "c". The follow me truck provided direction for aircraft "c" to move into spot D1, failing to recognize the improper positioning of aircraft "b".
13. The flight crew of aircraft "c" followed the follow me truck, not realizing the insufficient proper wing tip clearance with aircraft "b" that was improperly positioned in spot D2.
14. The left winglet on aircraft "c"- impacted the right aft fuselage area and horizontal stabilizer of aircraft "b" causing damage to both aircraft.
15. Damage – aircraft “c” suffered left wing and winglet damage; aircraft “b” suffered severe damage to right horizontal stabilizer, removing approximately 4 feet of the right side elevator and horizontal stabilizer.
16. There were no reported injuries; drug and alcohol tests were completed on all 4 pilots, as well as the follow me tug driver. All reports were negative.
17. Both aircraft cvr’s were retrieved and sent to NTSB labs in DC.
18. Airline was informed they can download the dfdr contents.
19. All flight crew members submitted asap reports. All of the reports were accepted by the asap-erc members.
As the FAA filed it
1. AN AIRBUS A321 AIRCRAFT STRUCK ANOTHER STATIONARY A321 AIRCRAFT WHILE MANEUVERING FOR PREDEPARTURE DE-ICING PURPOSES IN THE BOSTON AIRPORT EARHART DE-ICE PAD.
2. ALL OF THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED WERE THE SAME CARRIER AND LIVE PART 121 OPERATIONS, WITH PASSENGERS ON BOARD.
3. ALL OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATING UNDER THEIR OWN POWER, WITH GROUND CREW GIVING MARSHALLING SIGNALS.
4. WEATHER WAS CLEAR SKIES WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES, CAUSING OVERNIGHT FROST TO ACCUMULATE ON THE AIRCRAFT, NECESSITATING DE-ICE OPERATIONS; ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 0647 EST.
5. REFERENCE ATTACHMENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ “DEICING PROCEDURES” FOR BOSTON AIRPORT (10-9F).
6. THERE ARE THREE (3) AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THIS EVENT.
7. AIRCRAFT “A” IS A FLIGHT BEING DE-ICED.
8. AIRCRAFT “B” IS FLIGHT 551.
9. AIRCRAFT “C” IS FLIGHT 777.
THE EARLY MORNING WEATHER CONDITIONS NDITIONS IN THE DEICING AREA GREATLY REDUCED THE VISIBILITY OF THE MARKING FOR GUIDANCE
10. AIRCRAFT "A WAS IN SPOT D1 UNDERGOING DE-ICING.
11. AIRCRAFT "B" ARRIVED AFTER DE-ICING WAS STARTED ON AIRCRAFT "A" AND WAS DIRECTED INTO SPOT D2 BY THE “FOLLOW ME” VEHICLE. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED IN D2 DUE TO CONDITIONS HINDERING THE VIEW OF THE STOP LINES, RESULTING IN AIRCRAFT B BEING SHORT OF THIS LINE BY APPROXIMATELY 35 FEET. AS A RESULT THE TAIL END OF AIRCRAFT "B" EXTENDED INTO THE TAXIING ZONE BEHIND IT.
12. AIRCRAFT "C" WAS WAITING “ON DECK” FOR DE-ICING. WHEN AIRCRAFT "A" COMPLETED THEIR DE-ICING, THEY MOVED OUT OF THE D1 SPOT, WHICH OPENED UP THIS SPACE FOR AIRCRAFT "C". THE FOLLOW ME TRUCK PROVIDED DIRECTION FOR AIRCRAFT "C" TO MOVE INTO SPOT D1, FAILING TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPROPER POSITIONING OF AIRCRAFT "B".
13. THE FLIGHT CREW OF AIRCRAFT "C" FOLLOWED THE FOLLOW ME TRUCK, NOT REALIZING THE INSUFFICIENT PROPER WING TIP CLEARANCE WITH AIRCRAFT "B" THAT WAS IMPROPERLY POSITIONED IN SPOT D2.
14. THE LEFT WINGLET ON AIRCRAFT "C"- IMPACTED THE RIGHT AFT FUSELAGE AREA AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF AIRCRAFT "B" CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH AIRCRAFT.
15. DAMAGE – AIRCRAFT “C” SUFFERED LEFT WING AND WINGLET DAMAGE; AIRCRAFT “B” SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE TO RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, REMOVING APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET OF THE RIGHT SIDE ELEVATOR AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.
16. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES; DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTS WERE COMPLETED ON ALL 4 PILOTS, AS WELL AS THE FOLLOW ME TUG DRIVER. ALL REPORTS WERE NEGATIVE.
17. BOTH AIRCRAFT CVR’S WERE RETRIEVED AND SENT TO NTSB LABS IN DC.
18. AIRLINE WAS INFORMED THEY CAN DOWNLOAD THE DFDR CONTENTS.
19. ALL FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS SUBMITTED ASAP REPORTS. ALL OF THE REPORTS WERE ACCEPTED BY THE ASAP-ERC MEMBERS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.