# NTSB DCA18CA272: Boeing 757, Philadelphia, PA, August 24, 2018

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report
- Date: August 24, 2018, 19:55 local (23:55 UTC)
- Place: Philadelphia, PA
- Coordinates: 39.874168, -75.242225
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8742&lon=-75.2422&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Pushback/towing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/200) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Pushback/tow-engine not oper: Ground handling event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 177 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- NTSB case key (mKey): 98174
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA18CA272
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98174/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98174
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA18CA272

## Probable cause

The ground service employee's inadvertent fall near the nose wheel during pushback.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Action: incorrect action selection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Ground crew (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 397 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Pushback/tow-engine not oper: Ground handling event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 108 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080/sequence.md)

## Analysis

On August 24, 2018, about 2350 eastern daylight time, Aer Lingus flight 114, a Boeing 757-200, EI-LBT, had a ground service employee suffer a serious injury while engaged in pushback from the gate at Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There were no injuries to 177 passengers and crew onboard. The airplane was not damaged. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 129 scheduled international passenger flight from KPHL to Dublin Airport (EIDW), Dublin, Ireland. According to the operator, the ground service employee was connected to the airplane via a headset and was engaged in push-back from gate A6. At some point, the service employee fell down and the nose wheel ran over his right leg, causing a serious injury. The flight crew reported that the pushback was nearly complete and were about halfway through the 90 degree turn onto the taxi line, when the airplane jerked to a stop. There was general confusion for several minutes before they were informed of what happened.

## Aircraft

- Registration: EI-LBT (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 757 (200)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 28170
- Year built: 1998
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 129
- Operator: Aer Lingua
- Registered owner: ASL Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: PHL, Philadelphia, PA
- Destination: EIDW, Dublin, OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: PHL, Philadelphia International

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 5, 2018; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 25,000 total, 5,000 in this make and model
- Co-pilot; age 40; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; last flight review April 12, 2018; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 6,897 total, 2,307 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Night

## Docket (1 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 13, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98174. 2.1 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12148038&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA18CA272%20-NTSB%20Form%206120%20Accident%20Report-PHL%2008-24-2018_Redacted-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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