- Date
- September 15, 2000, 20:45 local (Sep 16, 2000, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Flushing, NY
- Injuries
- 58 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Pushback/towing
- Aircraft
- N461PRBoeing 737-49R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report May 8, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000915013959A
- Case key
- 50347
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 tug operator's inadequate visual lookout. A factor in this accident was the night light condition.
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
The airplane was being pushed back at night by three ground crew employees when it's rudder struck a parked airplane. Both 'wing walkers' were equipped with night wands, and had signaled the tug driver to stop prior to the accident. One wing walker stated he noticed that the airplane was getting 'very close' to the MD-80, and signaled the tug operator to stop 'several times' before the accident. The tug operator stated, '...one of the wing walkers signaled me to stop, but I was looking at the other wing walker. He told me to stop, but when I hit the brake it was too late....' The tug operator had been hired and began performing airplane pushbacks in December 1998. The weather reported about the time of the pushback, included: a visibility of 10 statue miles, and scattered clouds at 8, 500 feet msl.
Factual narrative
On September 15, 2000, about 2045 Eastern Daylight Time, a Boeing 737-49R, N461PR, operated by Pro Air Inc., as flight 325, was substantially damaged during pushback for taxi at the La Guardia Airport (LGA), Flushing, New York. The 2 flight crewmembers, 3 flight attendants, and 53 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight destined for the Detroit City Airport, Detroit, Michigan. The scheduled passenger flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane was being pushed back from gate C-4, by three Signature Flight Support ground crew employees. During the pushback, the airplane's rudder struck an MD-80, which was parked at a gate across from N461PR.
According to a Signature Flight Support representative, both "wing walkers" were equipped with night wands, and had signaled the tug driver to stop prior to the accident. One wing walker stated he noticed that the airplane was getting "very close" to the MD-80, and signaled the tug operator to stop "several times" before the accident.
The tug operator stated, "...one of the wing walkers signaled me to stop, but I was looking at the other wing walker. He told me to stop, but when I hit the brake it was too late...."
According to a Signature Flight Support manager, the tug operator had been hired and began performing airplane pushbacks in December 1998.
The weather reported at LGA, at 2051, included: a visibility of 10 statue miles, and scattered clouds at 8, 500 feet msl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N461PR
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-49R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28882
- Airframe hours
- 9,087
- Engine
- Cfm CFM56-3C1, 23,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Pro Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 29, 2000
- Departed
- LGA
- Destination
- DET · Detroit, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LGA · La Guardia
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10,694 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LGA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.