Incident Overview
On October 24, 1985, an American Airlines Boeing 727 collided with a parked United Airlines Boeing 727 during a power-back operation at Oakland International Airport in California. The incident occurred in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with visibility limited to zero feet due to dense fog.
Damage
The American Airlines aircraft sustained minor damage to its left wing. The United Airlines aircraft received substantial damage to its right wing.
Personnel and Equipment
During the power-back maneuver, the American Airlines aircraft was assisted by two wing walkers and a lead walker positioned at the nose of the aircraft. The lead walker reported that her goggles had fogged over, preventing her from clearly seeing the other wing walkers. Additionally, the wands used by the lead walker and the left wing walker were inoperative at the time of the incident.
Witness Accounts
According to witnesses, the lead walker did not see the stop signal given by the left wing walker. The lead walker stated that she believed there was sufficient clearance between the two aircraft during the maneuver.
Conclusion
The accident investigation report from the relevant aviation authority provides these factual details without assigning a specific probable cause.