- Date
- August 22, 1997, 00:40 local (08:40 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N27188Fairchild SA227-AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 13, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970822025939A
- Case key
- 3048
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the baggage tug driver's disregard for wet taxiway/ramp conditions, which resulted in his inability to avoid a taxiing airplane as he came around the end of a concourse building. Darkness, rain, and the wet ramp conditions were related factors.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A scheduled domestic passenger flight, operating under Title 14 CFR Part 121, was taxiing from the terminal toward the departure runway. Adjacent to the end of the terminal building, an airport baggage tug appeared from around the end of the concourse building. The driver of the tug attempted to stop, but was unable to avoid colliding with the outboard end of the right wing of the airplane. The cab portion of the tug struck the wing, about 4 feet inboard from the tip. The wing sustained crushing, and tearing of the leading edge. The tug's brakes were ineffective from wet surface conditions or due to a mechanical malfunction. Rain was falling at the time, and the airport ramps were wet.
Factual narrative
On August 22, 1997, about 0040 Alaska daylight time, a Fairchild/Swearingen SA227-AC, N27188, collided with an airport tug while taxiing for takeoff, at the Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR) scheduled domestic passenger flight under Title 14 CFR Part 121 when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by Merlin Express Inc., San Antonio, Texas, as Yute Air Alaska, flight number 421, sustained substantial damage. The captain, first officer, and 5 passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The operator reported the flight pushed away from gate A-10, and began to taxi toward the departure runway. Adjacent to gate A-12, an airport baggage tug, operated by Omni Support Services, appeared from around the end of the A concourse building. The driver of the tug attempted to stop, but was unable to avoid colliding with the outboard end of the right wing of the airplane. The cab portion of the tug struck the wing, about 4 feet inboard from the tip. The wing sustained crushing, and tearing of the leading edge. The tug driver was uninjured.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, Anchorage Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported the tug's brakes were ineffective from wet surface conditions or due to a mechanical malfunction. Rain was falling at the time, and the airport ramps were wet.
At 0050, an Anchorage International Airport, Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was reporting in part: Wind, 350 degrees (true) at 7 knots; visibility, 7 statute miles in rain; clouds, few at 500 feet, 1,700 feet overcast; temperature, 52 degrees F; dew point, 52 degrees F; altimeter, 29.66 inHg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27188
- Reported as
- Fairchild SA227-AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AC-708
- Airframe hours
- 14,412
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331, 1,000 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Merlin Express
- Registered owner
- Textron Financial Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 18, 1997 · 29 hours before
- Destination
- ENA · Kenai, AK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ANC · Anchorage International
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,800 total · 900 in this make and model · 8,200 as pilot in command · 310 in the last 90 days · 108 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.