- Date
- July 23, 2019, 00:48 local (07:48 UTC)
- Place
- San Francisco, CA
- Injuries
- 199 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N57852Boeing 757
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 99936
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
failure of the ground crew to maintain clearance from the parked airplane during pushback.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
On July 23, 2019, about 0048, pacific daylight time, United Airlines flight 1161, N57852, a Boeing 757-324, received substantial damage during pushback. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew onboard. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois. According to the flight crew the airplane was at gate 62 at SFO and after the door was closed and Pre-flight and Before-pushback checklists were completed, the flight crew then received clearance to push back. According to the ground crew, the pushback operation was conducted with a tug driver and a wing walker at each wing. After pushback was initiated, another airplane was towed behind the accident airplane. The tug driver stated he saw the other airplane and stopped but lost sight of the wing walker. After he thought the other airplane was clear, he started to move the airplane again, but then was signaled by the other airplanes ground crew to stop and that he had hit their airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right-hand elevator outboard section had broken at the second attach fitting. Also, the right-hand horizontal stabilizer had a puncture, end cap damage and other damage to the lower skin extending about 24 to 30 inches from the outboard end.
Factual narrative
On July 23, 2019, about 0048, Pacific daylight time, United Airlines flight 1161, N57852, a Boeing 757-324, received substantial damage during pushback. There were no injuries to the crew or passengers on board. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois. According to the flight crew, while their airplane was being pushed back from gate 62 at SFO, it impacted a parked airplane, causing damage to their airplane’s right stabilizer and right elevator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57852
- Reported as
- Boeing 757 (324)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32811
- Built
- 2001
- Engines
- Rolls Royce RB211-535, 42,540 lbs thrust, turbo fanRolls Royce RB211-535, 42,540 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- United Airlines
- Registered owner
- United Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- KSFO · San Francisco, CA
- Destination
- KORD · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KSFO · San Francisco International
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 9, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 22,260 total · 8,364 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 25, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.1 MB in all.