FLT CANCELED AND EXTENSIVE ENG DAMAGE WHEN AN AIRLINE SVC VEHICLE RUNS INTO A TAXIING B747-400 AS THE ACFT TURNS L ONTO TXWY C4. DRIVER ASSUMED ACFT WAS NOT GOING TO TURN AT TXWY C4 AT LAX; CA.

Date: 2000-10 · Aircraft: B747-400 · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types|conflict-ground-conflict|critical|ground-event-encounter-vehicle|ground-incursion-taxiway|other-v-d-qual

Synopsis

FLT CANCELED AND EXTENSIVE ENG DAMAGE WHEN AN AIRLINE SVC VEHICLE RUNS INTO A TAXIING B747-400 AS THE ACFT TURNS L ONTO TXWY C4. DRIVER ASSUMED ACFT WAS NOT GOING TO TURN AT TXWY C4 AT LAX; CA.

Narrative

AFTER PUSHBACK FROM GATE; CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 25R BY 'TXWY B; L AT TXWY C4; R ONTO TXWY C; AND HOLD AT C-1.' APCHING TXWY C4 OBSERVED THAT THE INTXN AND SVC ROAD ON BOTH SIDES OF TXWY C4 WERE CLR. AREA WAS STILL CLR AFTER 90 DEG L TURN ONTO TXWY C4. OBSERVED SVC VEHICLE STOPPED WELL CLR OF TXWY C4. I VISUALLY CLRED THE AREA TO THE R ONTO TXWY C THEN LOOKED BACK TO MY L TO ABOUT THE 8:30 O'CLOCK POS; AT WHICH POINT THE WING OBSCURES THE GND AND OBSERVED THE TRUCK THAT HAD BEEN STOPPED MOVE FORWARD. I CALLED OUT THIS TO THE CREW AND ASSUMED THAT THE TRUCK HAD ACCELERATED TO GO BEHIND THE ACFT. WITHIN ABOUT 1 MIN; RECEIVED A CALL FROM CABIN THAT A PAX HAD OBSERVED A TRUCK THAT APPEARED TO STRIKE THE 'L' ENG. IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ACFT. ADVISED GND AND REQUESTED A VEHICLE TO OBSERVE IF ANY DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT ON ENG #1. ADVISED THAT DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE. SHUT DOWN ENG AND CALLED MAINT. MAINT EXAMINED ENG AND WE TAXIED BACK TO TERMINAL AND WERE TOWED INTO GATE. INCIDENT PROBABLY CAUSED BY INEXPERIENCE OF GND VEHICLE DRIVER. HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT IN A 90 DEG TURN A B747-400 GOES 20 FT PAST THE CTRLINE BEFORE BEGINNING THE TURN. I WAS ADVISED THAT DRIVER ASSUMED ACFT WAS CONTINUING E ON TXWY B. HE PULLED FORWARD; STALLED ENG; RESTARTED AND PUT IN FORWARD INSTEAD OF REVERSE AND THEN STRUCK ENG. ENG COWLING BADLY DAMAGED. SVC VAN EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED (PROBABLY TOTALED). NO INJURIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 487596: NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS WERE OBSERVED IN THE COCKPIT. (EICAS INDICATIONS.)

More incidents for this aircraft family →

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.