History of Flight
On November 30, 2023, about 0614 Hawaii standard time, a Boeing 717-200, registration N494HA, operated by Hawaiian Airlines as flight 105, sustained minor damage when it struck a tow tractor while taxiing for departure at Kahului Airport (OGG), Maui, Hawaii. The 119 passengers and crew onboard were uninjured; one ramp worker sustained minor injuries. The flight was a scheduled domestic passenger service from OGG to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Honolulu, Hawaii.
Before departure, the airplane was being pushed back from the gate by three ground crew: a tow tractor operator and two wing walkers. One wing walker served as an escort responsible for disconnecting the tow bar. The flight crew described the weather as "dicey" with low cloud ceilings, rain, and thunderstorms. It was dark, and the windshield wipers were on.
During pushback, the captain performed a manual start of the number one engine, set the brakes, and instructed the ground crew to disconnect the tow bar. The first officer entered load closeout and clearance data into the flight management system. The captain then started the number two engine and cleared the ground crew to disconnect, allowing the escort to remove the headset cable and the nose landing gear steering bypass pin.
The escort displayed the steering bypass pin for about two minutes but did not receive a salute from the captain. The tow tractor operator honked the horn and waved but got no response. Upon seeing the cockpit light turn off, the operator realized the airplane was about to taxi and drove away. The flight crew completed the after-start checklist and received a taxi clearance. As the airplane began to taxi, the left main landing gear impacted the tow bar, and the left wing struck the tow tractor cab, causing it to collapse. Airport fire and rescue extricated the driver, who was hospitalized.
Personnel Information
The captain, age 29, held an airline transport pilot certificate with type ratings on the B-757, B-767, and DC-9. He had about 3,300 total flight hours, with 1,200 in the B-717. He wore corrective lenses.
The first officer, age 35, held an airline transport pilot certificate with type ratings on the CL-65 and DC-9. He had about 2,000 total flight hours, with 233 in the B-717.
Aircraft Information
The airplane had two minimum equipment list (MEL) items: one for the wing landing light (retracted) and one for the auto starter control system, requiring a manual start on the number one engine.
Meteorological Information
Dawn was at 0621:31, sunrise at 0645:06. The sun was 7.73° below the horizon at the time. The captain reported darkness and rain.
Wreckage and Impact
Postincident examination revealed minor damage to the left wing.
Additional Information
The tow tractor was a TMX-350. It had a yellow flashing beacon, but airport surveillance video showed the beacon was not illuminated during the pushback or collision. Night observations from a B-717 cockpit indicated the tractor was low-contrast without the beacon.
Hawaiian Airlines procedures specified that after removing the steering bypass pin, ground crew should move the tractor out of the aircraft's path and then await a "ready to taxi" signal (one flash of the taxi light). The captain reported he did not flash the taxi light. The first officer recalled the captain gave a verbal response when the after-start checklist item for "ground salute" was read.
The airline's investigation identified procedural drift and unclear manual guidance. Safety actions included issuing an alert, retraining ground personnel, and coordinating between ground and flight operations manuals.
Flight Recorders
The flight data recorder captured the event; groundspeed increased from 0 to 8 knots before the collision. The cockpit voice recorder began after the impact and captured crew conversations.