- Date
- June 24, 2003, 15:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Boston, MA
- Injuries
- 34 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Pushback/towing
- Aircraft
- N839AEEmbraer EMB-135-KL
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSFO
- FAA report
- 20030624012029A
- Case key
- 57301
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 driver's failure to maintain directional control of the tug, which caused the tug to impact the airplane.
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
As the airplane was being pushed back from the gate by a tug, the tug began to jackknife and the nose of the airplane came to rest 135 degrees from the heading of the tug. The tug operator could no longer push the airplane and the wing walker, who had been supervising, took over. He put the tug into reverse; however, he failed to straighten the steering wheel. As he moved the accelerator handle, the tug reversed directly into and underneath the airplane, impacting the fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the nose gear and a puncture to the underside of the fuselage, in the pressure vessel area. No mechanical deficiencies were noted with the tug.
Factual narrative
On June 24, 2003, about 1510 eastern daylight time, an Embraer EMB-135-KL, N839AE, operating as American Eagle flight 4644, was substantially damaged during pushback from the ramp at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts. There were no injuries to the 3-person crew, 31 passengers, or 2 tug operators. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight which was destined for Bangor International Airport (BGR), Bangor, Maine. The scheduled passenger flight was to be conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.
According to representatives of American Eagle, as the airplane was being pushed back from the gate by a "Lektro" tug, the tug began to jackknife and the nose of the airplane came to rest 135 degrees from the heading of the tug. The tug operator could no longer push the airplane, and the wing walker who had been supervising him took over. He put the tug into reverse; however, he failed to straighten the steering wheel. As he moved the accelerator handle, the tug reversed directly into and underneath the airplane, impacting the fuselage.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the nose gear and a puncture to the underside of the fuselage, in the pressure vessel area. No mechanical deficiencies were noted with the tug.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N839AE
- Reported as
- Embraer EMB-135-KL
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 145653
- Engine
- Allison AE3007A1/3, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- American Eagle Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- BOS · Boston, MA
- Destination
- BGR · Bangor, ME
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BOS · Logan International Airport
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 16,435 total
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 8,589 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- BOS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.