Incident Overview
On April 28, 2013, a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration HZ-AK16, equipped with two General Electric GE90-115B engines, was being pushed back from the gate at an unspecified location. During the process of starting the No. 2 engine, the engine unexpectedly accelerated to a high power setting. The aircraft moved forward and, despite application of the brakes, could not be stopped before it struck a parked pushback tractor. The impact severely damaged the lower No. 2 engine nose cowl.
Investigation
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) is investigating the incident. As the state of manufacture of the engines and some airplane components, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has designated a United States Accredited Representative under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation to assist the GACA in the investigation.
Contact Information
All inquiries concerning this incident should be directed to the GACA at:
General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Safety Department GACA – Safety & Economic Regulations P.O. Box 887 Jeddah 21241 Saudi Arabia
Tel.: (966) 2 685-5515 / 5494 (966) 5 04626707 / 48695853 (mobile) E-mail: [email protected] Fax: (966) 2 685-5507 Website: www.gaca.gov.sa