- Date
- December 21, 1998, 22:15 local (Dec 22, 1998, 05:15 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Pushback/towing
- Aircraft
- N269FEBoeing 727-233
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 23, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 45546
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Snow removal not done by other person.
Analysis
A tug was pushing the aircraft back from the gate when the wheels of the airplane got stuck in snow. The tow bar shear pin, designed to break under excessive loads, snapped in half. The tug struck the airplane, breaking its windshield and causing damage to the aircraft's radome and forward pressure bulkhead. Airport operations personnel are responsible for the removal of snow. According to a ramp manager from the Federal Express Corporation, the snow bank in which the aircraft became mired was 12-16 inches from both the ramp and service road. He stated that the snow should have been plowed but allowed to accrue in that location.
Factual narrative
On December 21, 1998, at 2215 mountain standard time, a Boeing 727-233, N269FE, operated by Federal Express Corporation as flight 1004, was substantially damaged after being struck by a tug during push back at Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado. The airline transport rated captain, first officer and flight engineer were not injured. The aircraft was being operated as a domestic cargo flight under Title 14 CFR Part 121, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An IFR flight plan was filed for the flight to Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California.
According to a Federal Express Corporation representative, a tug was pushing the aircraft back from the gate when the wheels of the airplane got stuck in a snow bank. The tow bar shear pin, designed to break under excessive loads, snapped in half. The tug struck the airplane, breaking its windshield and causing damage to the aircraft's radome and forward pressure bulkhead.
Denver International Airport operations personnel are responsible for the removal of snow. According to a ramp manager from the Federal Express Corporation, the snow bank in which the aircraft became mired was 12-16 inches from both the ramp and service road. He stated that the snow should have been plowed but not allowed to accrue in that location.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N269FE
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-233
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21675
- Airframe hours
- 40,578
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-15AQM, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Federal Express Corporation
- Registered owner
- Wilmington Trust Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 18, 1998 · 6 hours before
- Destination
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DEN · Denver 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,806 total · 4,806 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -11 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN