- Date
- August 6, 1992, 09:33 local (16:33 UTC)
- Place
- San Francisco, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 113 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Pushback/towing
- Aircraft
- N9010UBoeing 737-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 27719
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 improper installation of the towbar. Contributing to the accident was a disconnected tow bar during push back.
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
During pushback from a terminal gate, the towbar became disconnected, allowing the airplane to continue to roll backward. Ground personnel, utilizing an intercom system, called for an emergency stop and the captain applied the airplane brakes. During the sudden stop, a cabin crew member lost her balance and fell against a seat armrest, sustaining a fractured shoulder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9010U
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19048
- Airframe hours
- 46,912
- Engine
- P&W JT8, 20,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- United Airlines
- Registered owner
- United Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 17, 1991 · 2,440 hours before
- Departed
- SFO
- Destination
- SEA · Seattle, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SFO · San Francisco
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,949 total · 427 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SFO, 1 nm away