What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 08/03/2024 at 1730 local time at Los Angeles International Airport (lax), California, aircraft privacy data omitted, serial number 34254, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft was struck by a baggage loading cart upon arrival at the gate causing major damage to the aircraft. The aircraft was being operated as privacy data omitted flight privacy data omitted on a flight from minneapolis Minnesota (msp) to lax with 172 passengers and 6 crew members on board. Upon arrival at the gate at lax, before passengers started deplaning, the aircraft was struck by a cargo loading belt loader. The resulting impact caused damage to the number 3 VHF antenna and dents to the fuselage skin along with damage to fuselage stringer S-28R resulting in a major repair. No reported injuries to passenger or crew. During the investigation, the following was reported: ramp agent drove belt loader to the forward cargo pit of the aircraft with an approximate 3 inch clearance, set the parking brake, shifted unit into neutral, and placed chocks behind the left rear wheels. The ramp agents then began offloading bags when the belt loader accelerated unexpectedly, pushing the chocks and striking the aircraft and breaking off the antenna and scraping the fuselage. The belt loader was removed from service and inspected. The inspection revealed a bolt missing from the gear shifter that allowed the loader to appear in neutral despite not actually in neutral. The aircraft total time at time of incident was 53,810 hours and total cycles was 23,530.
As the FAA filed it
ON 08/03/2024 AT 1730 LOCAL TIME AT LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LAX), CALIFORNIA, AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SERIAL NUMBER 34254, A BOEING 737-800 AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY A BAGGAGE LOADING CART UPON ARRIVAL AT THE GATE CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLIGHT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON A FLIGHT FROM MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA (MSP) TO LAX WITH 172 PASSENGERS AND 6 CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE GATE AT LAX, BEFORE PASSENGERS STARTED DEPLANING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY A CARGO LOADING BELT LOADER. THE RESULTING IMPACT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE NUMBER 3 VHF ANTENNA AND DENTS TO THE FUSELAGE SKIN ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE STRINGER S-28R RESULTING IN A MAJOR REPAIR. NO REPORTED INJURIES TO PASSENGER OR CREW. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, THE FOLLOWING WAS REPORTED: RAMP AGENT DROVE BELT LOADER TO THE FORWARD CARGO PIT OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH AN APPROXIMATE 3 INCH CLEARANCE, SET THE PARKING BRAKE, SHIFTED UNIT INTO NEUTRAL, AND PLACED CHOCKS BEHIND THE LEFT REAR WHEELS. THE RAMP AGENTS THEN BEGAN OFFLOADING BAGS WHEN THE BELT LOADER ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY, PUSHING THE CHOCKS AND STRIKING THE AIRCRAFT AND BREAKING OFF THE ANTENNA AND SCRAPING THE FUSELAGE. THE BELT LOADER WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND INSPECTED. THE INSPECTION REVEALED A BOLT MISSING FROM THE GEAR SHIFTER THAT ALLOWED THE LOADER TO APPEAR IN NEUTRAL DESPITE NOT ACTUALLY IN NEUTRAL. THE AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME AT TIME OF INCIDENT WAS 53,810 HOURS AND TOTAL CYCLES WAS 23,530.