History of the Flight
On 25 May 2019, an Airbus A320 aircraft registered PK-LZJ was being operated on a scheduled passenger flight from Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (WAAA), Makassar, to Mopah International Airport (WAKK), Merauke, by PT. Batik Air Indonesia. On board were two pilots, five flight attendants, and 82 passengers.
At 1842 UTC (0242 LT), during nighttime, the aircraft commenced pushback from parking stand B1. The pushback operation used a towing tractor with a crew of three: a towing tractor driver, a wing-man, and a headset-man. The headset-man was an aircraft mechanic. No briefing was conducted among the crew prior to the pushback.
Injuries to Persons
The headset-man received fatal injuries during the accident. No other injuries were reported.
Personnel Information
The towing tractor driver, wing-man, and headset-man were the ground crew involved. The headset-man performed duties as an aircraft mechanic.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was an Airbus A320 registered PK-LZJ. It was operated by Batik Air Indonesia.
Pushback Accident Details
During the pushback, the headset-man disconnected his headset from the aircraft headset jack. The pushback continued. Subsequently, the headset-man was propelled into the path of the moving aircraft and became trapped under the left main landing gear. This resulted in fatal injuries to the headset-man.
Contributing Factors
The investigation identified the following contributing factors: 1. The headset-man disconnected his headset from the aircraft headset jack and the pushback was continued. 2. The headset-man was propelled into the path of the moving aircraft and became trapped under the left main landing gear. 3. The headset-man received fatal injuries.