# NTSB investigations, CO: Pushback/towing

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB DCA19CA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA19CA079.md): Airbus A320 · Denver, CO · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Jan 28, 2019 · N220FR · Substantial damage
  > loss of control of the tug by the driver during pushback operations as a result of the contaminated ramp, angle of the towbar, and the airplane engines being at idle thrust.
- [NTSB CEN15IA337](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15IA337.md): Boeing 737 · Denver, CO · Incident · Minor injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Aug 5, 2015 · N779SW · Minor damage
  > The gate lead/pushback driver's failure to recognize that the provisioning truck was within the safety zone of the gate during his walkaround due to distractions, which resulted in the subsequent collision between the airplane and the truck. Contributing to…
- [NTSB CEN12IA123](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12IA123.md): Boeing 737-7H4 · Denver, CO · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Dec 22, 2011 · N469WN · Minor damage
  > The snowplow operator’s incapacitation due to fatigue, which resulted in the snowplow contacting a parked airplane. Contributing to the incident was the company’s lack of a policy regarding employee fatigue.
- [NTSB DEN05IA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN05IA084.md): de Havilland DHC-8-202 · Denver, CO · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · May 30, 2005 · N454YV · No damage
  > The improper procedures conducted by the ground personnel and the flight crew's failure to coordinate procedures with the ground personnel during push back operation which resulted in the collision between the ground support vehicle and the airplane. A…
- [NTSB DEN03FA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03FA070.md): McDonnell Douglas MD-88 · Denver, CO · Accident · Minor injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 22, 2003 · N974DL · Substantial damage
  > the flight crew's failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in engine start with the throttles advanced and the subsequent impact with the tug. Contributing factors include, the flight crew's improper procedures/directives and failure to…
- [NTSB DEN99LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA027.md): Boeing 727-233 · Denver, CO · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 22, 1998 · N269FE · Substantial damage
  > Snow removal not done by other person.
- [NTSB FTW98FA273](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA273.md): Boeing 737-322 · Denver, CO · Accident · Minor injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 18, 1998 · N364UA · Substantial damage
  > Inadequate visual lookout by ground personnel (tug operator). Factors include failure of the airline to provide proper assistance (wing walkers) to the tug operator, and inadequate pushback procedures by the airline; inattention of the catering truck driver,…
- [NTSB FTW92LA100](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW92LA100.md): Boeing 757-223 · Hayden, CO · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 27, 1992 · N615AM · No damage
  > Failure of the ground personnel to follow published procedures/directives. A factor was the inadequate equipment.
- [NTSB DEN89IA124](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN89IA124.md): Boeing 727-247 · Denver, CO · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · May 24, 1989 · N296WA · Minor damage
  > Failure of the left main landing gear forward trunnion bearing support fitting due to a crack initiating at the forward edge of the bore and propagating by intergranular stress corrosion into the bore surface that resulted in an eventual ductile fracture.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
WITH phase_names(main, name) AS (VALUES (100, 'Prior to flight'), (150, 'Standing'), (200, 'Pushback/towing'), (250, 'Taxi'), (300, 'Takeoff'), (350, 'Initial climb'), (400, 'Enroute'), (450, 'Maneuvering'), (500, 'Approach'), (550, 'Landing'), (600, 'Emergency descent'), (650, 'Uncontrolled descent'), (700, 'Post-impact'), (750, 'After landing'), (800, 'Other'), (990, 'Unknown')),
  crosswalk(code, main, name) AS (VALUES (500, 150, 'Standing'), (501, 150, 'Standing - pre-flight'), (502, 150, 'Standing - starting engine(s)'), (503, 150, 'Standing - engine(s) operating'), (504, 150, 'Standing - engine(s) not operating'), (505, 150, 'Standing - idling rotors'), (510, 250, 'Taxi'), (511, 200, 'Taxi - pushback/tow'), (512, 250, 'Taxi - to takeoff'), (513, 250, 'Taxi - from landing'), (514, 250, 'Taxi - aerial'), (520, 300, 'Takeoff'), (521, 300, 'Takeoff - roll/run'), (522, 350, 'Takeoff - initial climb'), (523, 300, 'Takeoff - aborted'), (530, 400, 'Climb'), (531, 400, 'Climb - to cruise'), (540, 400, 'Cruise'), (541, 400, 'Cruise - normal'), (542, 400, 'Maneuvering - holding (IFR)'), (550, 400, 'Descent'), (551, 400, 'Descent - normal'), (552, 600, 'Descent - emergency'), (553, 650, 'Descent - uncontrolled'), (560, 500, 'Approach'), (561, 500, 'Approach - VFR pattern - downwind'), (562, 500, 'Approach - VFR pattern - base turn'), (563, 500, 'Approach - VFR pattern - base leg/base to final'), (564, 500, 'Approach - VFR pattern - final approach'), (565, 500, 'Go-around (VFR)'), (566, 500, 'Approach - IAF to FAF/outer marker (IFR)'), (567, 500, 'Approach - FAF/outer marker to threshold (IFR)'), (568, 500, 'Circling (IFR)'), (569, 500, 'Missed approach (IFR)'), (570, 550, 'Landing'), (571, 550, 'Landing - flare/touchdown'), (572, 550, 'Landing - roll'), (573, 550, 'Landing - aborted'), (574, 550, 'Emergency landing'), (575, 550, 'Emergency landing after takeoff'), (576, 600, 'Emergency descent/landing'), (580, 450, 'Maneuvering'), (581, 450, 'Maneuvering - aerial application'), (582, 450, 'Maneuvering - turn to reverse direction'), (583, 450, 'Maneuvering - turn to landing area (emergency)'), (590, 450, 'Hover'), (591, 450, 'Hover - in ground effect'), (592, 450, 'Hover - out of ground effect'), (600, 800, 'Other'), (610, 990, 'Unknown')),
  current_codes AS (
    SELECT e.case_mkey, TRY_CAST(e."tier1Number" AS INTEGER) AS code,
      row_number() OVER (PARTITION BY e.case_mkey ORDER BY coalesce(e."isDefiningEvent", false) DESC, e.position) AS n
    FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' e
    WHERE e.aircrafts_position = 1 AND e."tier1Number" GLOB '[1-9][0-9]*'
      AND (e."isDefiningEvent" OR e.case_mkey IN (SELECT "mKey" FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' WHERE "isPre1982"))
  ),
  phases AS (
    SELECT case_mkey, 'current' AS scheme, code, CASE WHEN code >= 990 THEN 990 ELSE code // 50 * 50 END AS main
    FROM current_codes WHERE n = 1
    UNION ALL
    SELECT o.case_mkey, 'older', o."phaseOfFlightCode", w.main
    FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o JOIN crosswalk w ON w.code = o."phaseOfFlightCode"
    WHERE o.aircrafts_position = 1 AND o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o.case_mkey NOT IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM current_codes)
  ),
  case_phases AS (
    SELECT p.*, c."eventDate", c."highestInjuryLevel" = 'Fatal' AS fatal, a.aircraft_model_code
    FROM phases p JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c ON c."mKey" = p.case_mkey
    LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = p.case_mkey AND a.position = 1
    WHERE c."eventDate" >= DATE '1962-01-01' AND p.main IN (SELECT main FROM phase_names)
  )
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'CO' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM case_phases WHERE main = 200)
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/200/cases?state=CO

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.