# NTSB ERA11LA044: Boeing 737, Fort Lauderdale, FL, October 29, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 29, 2010, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC) - Place: Fort Lauderdale, FL - Coordinates: 26.072778, -80.152778 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.0728&lon=-80.1528&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Standing-engine(s) not oper: Ground handling event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 142 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 16, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 77693 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA11LA044 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/77693/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=77693 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA044 ## Probable cause The ground service vehicle driver's depressing of the accelerator rather than the brake pedal, resulting in a collision with the airplane. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Ground crew (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Airport facilities/design: ground support/equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03017070): Environmental issues › Operating environment · Not specified; cases with it: [All aircraft, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03017070/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Standing-engine(s) 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 The airplane was parked at the gate and about half of the passengers had deplaned. At that time, a ground service vehicle backed toward the airplane to service the aft lavatory. A guide man signaled the driver to stop the vehicle for a brake check, which he did. The guide man then signaled the driver to resume reversing the vehicle, and subsequently signaled the driver to stop in the service position, located about three feet from the airplane's fuselage. The driver stopped the vehicle; however, before he could put it into park, his foot slipped off the brake pedal and onto the accelerator, which resulted in the vehicle further backing into the airplane. During the impact, the airplane incurred a 12-inch by 6-inch tear in the fuselage, which included stringer damage. ## Factual narrative On October 29, 2010, about 1545 eastern daylight time, a Boeing 737-7CT, Canadian Registration C-FWAQ, operated by WestJet Airlines as flight 1058, was substantially damaged while parked at a gate at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (KFLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 2 foreign certificated pilots, 4 flight attendants, and 136 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport (CYUL), Montreal, Canada. The foreign scheduled passenger flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 129. According to a safety investigator at the airline, the airplane had parked at the gate and about half of the passengers had deplaned. At that time, a ground service vehicle backed toward the airplane to service the aft lavatory. A guide man signaled the driver to stop the vehicle for a brake check, which he did. The guide man then signaled the driver to resume backing, and subsequently signaled the driver to stop the vehicle in the service position about 3 feet from the airplane's fuselage. The driver stopped the vehicle; however, before he could put it into park, his foot slipped off the brake pedal and onto the accelerator, which resulted in the vehicle further backing into the airplane and a 12-inch by 6-inch tear in the fuselage that included stringer damage. Also noted, was that the driver was "twisted around" to see the guide man, that he was not wearing required work boots, and that a rubber cover had come off the brake pedal at some point. The KFLL recorded weather, at 1553, included scattered clouds at 4,100 feet, visibility 10 miles, and no precipitation. ## Aircraft - Registration: C-FWAQ (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BOEING 737 (7CT) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32748 - Airframe hours: 28356 - Engines: GE CFM-56-7B24 24000 lbs thrust turbo fan; GE CFM-56-7B24 24000 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 129 - Operator: WestJet - Registered owner: WestJet - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, October 29, 2010 - Departed: CYUL, Montreal - Destination: KFLL, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KFLL, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Int ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review July 28, 2010; seat: left; flight hours: 10,000 total, 4,000 in this make and model, 5,000 as pilot in command - Co-pilot; age 35; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land, multi-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 9, 2010; seat: right; flight hours: 8,500 total, 2,500 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 8,000 ft broken - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: KFLL ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 4, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=77693. 913 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 464 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40339798&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Vehicle Driver's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 38 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40339805&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Vehicle%20Driver%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Vehicle Driver Supervisor's Statement (item 3, .PDF, 9 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40339800&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Vehicle%20Driver%20Supervisor%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - Weather Report (item 4, .PDF, 23 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40339801&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Report-Master.PDF - Photo - View of Airplane Damage (Photo Courtesy of WestJet) (item 5, .PDF, 379 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40339802&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20-%20View%20of%20Airplane%20Damage%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20WestJet)-Master.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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.