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20241203017759I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Embraer ERJ 170-100 LR · Columbia, MO · December 3, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 3, 2024 · 20:15 local
Place
Columbia, MO
Airport
Columbia Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
SIMA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N791DK
Reported as
Embraer ERJ 170-100 LR
Reported engine
GE CF34-8E5
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,983 total
N791DKRegistered now · Embraer ERJ 170-100 LRS/N 17000019 · Built 2004Airframe modelEmbraer ERJ 170-100 LREngine modelGE CF34-8E5Turbo-fan

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.

On 12/03/2024, at approximately 20:15C, Columbia, MO (cou), 4 crew, 18 passengers on board. While pushing back, the tug and aircraft came to a stop, before the towbar could be disconnected, the front wheels of the tug turned to the right and the tug accelerated rotating around the left side of the aircraft and struck the aircraft forward of the l/h wing-to-body fairing causing structural damage. This movement caused the nose landing gear (NLG) to rotate approximately 230 degrees from the straight/forward position which is beyond the allowable rotation limit. The towbar attach pin on the NLG broke and the towbar was jammed in between the NLG wheels. The tug driver stated that they remember pushing the aircraft back and stopping, but does not remember anything afterwards, until they were getting out of the tug. The driver stated that they have a medical condition and has not been taking thier medication because they have not had an episode in over a year. This is the first time the tug driver mentioned thier medical condition to the carrier. The tug driver was drug tested and placed on administrative leave. The NLG was inspected and an interim repair was installed on the fuselage damage. The aircraft was mx ferried to a repair station for repairs.

As the FAA filed it

ON 12/03/2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 20:15C, COLUMBIA, MO (COU), 4 CREW, 18 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. WHILE PUSHING BACK, THE TUG AND AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, BEFORE THE TOWBAR COULD BE DISCONNECTED, THE FRONT WHEELS OF THE TUG TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND THE TUG ACCELERATED ROTATING AROUND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND STRUCK THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD OF THE L/H WING-TO-BODY FAIRING CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THIS MOVEMENT CAUSED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR (NLG) TO ROTATE APPROXIMATELY 230 DEGREES FROM THE STRAIGHT/FORWARD POSITION WHICH IS BEYOND THE ALLOWABLE ROTATION LIMIT. THE TOWBAR ATTACH PIN ON THE NLG BROKE AND THE TOWBAR WAS JAMMED IN BETWEEN THE NLG WHEELS. THE TUG DRIVER STATED THAT THEY REMEMBER PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT BACK AND STOPPING, BUT DOES NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING AFTERWARDS, UNTIL THEY WERE GETTING OUT OF THE TUG. THE DRIVER STATED THAT THEY HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION AND HAS NOT BEEN TAKING THIER MEDICATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT HAD AN EPISODE IN OVER A YEAR. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE TUG DRIVER MENTIONED THIER MEDICAL CONDITION TO THE CARRIER. THE TUG DRIVER WAS DRUG TESTED AND PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. THE NLG WAS INSPECTED AND AN INTERIM REPAIR WAS INSTALLED ON THE FUSELAGE DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MX FERRIED TO A REPAIR STATION FOR REPAIRS.