What happened
While an airliner was parked at the gate boarding passengers for a Title 14, CFR Part 121 flight, an airline employee attempted to connect a tractor tug to a towbar attached to the aircraft's nose gear. A witness on the ramp observed the tug driver maneuver the vehicle toward the towbar and heard a loud noise, after which the towbar buckled and lifted into the air. The witness then observed the tug moving directly into the aircraft. The tug struck the radome of the airplane, resulting in 1 fatality. The employee driving the tug was trapped between the vehicle and the aircraft.
The investigation
An examination of the equipment revealed that the towbar had not been properly engaged with the tug; instead, it had been pushed into the tug as the vehicle moved toward the airplane. Post-accident inspections and tests of the tug showed no mechanical anomalies or operational issues, noting that the vehicle had been operated several times earlier that day without incident. Ramp conditions were found to be dry and adequately illuminated. There was no reported urgency for pushback at the time of the event.
An investigation into personnel records revealed that the employee, who had been assigned bag room duties that day, had not received pushback training since 1992. Furthermore, she was not formally qualified or authorized to conduct pushback operations at the time of the accident. While ground staffing levels were consistent with the airline's standard model, investigators determined staffing had no direct bearing on the event.
Findings
- The towbar was not engaged with the tug and was jammed into the vehicle during movement.
- The employee was not authorized or qualified to perform pushback operations.
- The airline subsequently implemented the use of tugs with protective enclosures over the driver cab and updated ground operations manuals to require an additional person to assist in connecting the towbar.