# NTSB investigations, 2008: 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 DCA09FA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA09FA025.md): Embraer EMB145 · New York, NY · Accident · No injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 31, 2008 · N844MJ · Substantial damage
  > The tug driver's failure to comply with ramp safety procedures.
- [NTSB WPR09FA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09FA068.md): Boeing 757-351 · Seattle, WA · Accident · No injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 28, 2008 · N585NW · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the tug operator and wing walker of the other airplane to maintain clearance with this aircraft during the pushback process in dark night. Also causal was the ramp controller's misinterpretation of the other airplane's gate location and her…
- [NTSB DCA09FA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA09FA022.md): Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83 · Los Angeles Intl Airport, CA · Accident · No injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 26, 2008 · N9617R · Substantial damage
  > The first officer's unannounced advancement of the left engine throttle, which led to a sustained application of high thrust that caused the airplane to impact the tug.
- [NTSB WPR09IA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09IA065.md): Boeing 737-890 · Seattle, WA · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Dec 24, 2008 · N516AS · No damage
  > The failure of the deicing crew to follow company procedures by not receiving confirmation from the flight crew before beginning to deice the airplane.
- [NTSB WPR09IA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09IA033.md): Boeing 737-700 · Salt Lake City, UT · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Nov 7, 2008 · N254WN · Minor damage
  > The tug driver's failure to maintain situational awareness during the push back operation.
- [NTSB NYC08LA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08LA234.md): Bombardier CL-600-2C10 · Charlotte, NC · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 28, 2008 · N725PS · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage
  > The tugdriver and wing walker's lack of communication and the tugdriver's failure to properly monitor the wing walker. Contributing to the accident was the lightning in the vicinity of the airport, which resulted in the ground crewmembers not wearing headsets.
- [NTSB ENG08IA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ENG08IA051.md): Boeing 737 · Phoenix (PHX), AZ · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Jun 27, 2008 · N514AU · Minor damage
  > The failure of the MLG was due to cracking in the cylinder wall resulting from a fatigue mechanism which initiated at, and near the inner diameter (ID) surface, with propagation through the wall toward the outer diameter(OD) surface. Crack initiation was due…
- [NTSB SEA08LA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08LA061.md): Bombardier CL-600-2C10 · San Francisco, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 14, 2008 · N705SK · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage
  > The company tug operator's failure to maintain clearance with another aircraft during the pushback process. Also causal was the ground controller's failure to alert the pilot of the other aircraft and tug operator of this airplane of the simultaneous pushback…

## 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 year(c."eventDate") = 2008
  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?year=2008

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