A TECHNICIAN DRIVING A TRUCK EXCEEDING THE SPD LIMIT IN DARKNESS WITH RAIN AND GND FOG CUT OFF A CANADAIR CL-65 TURNING IN TO A GATE.

Date: 2004-02 · Aircraft: Regional Jet CL65; Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-maintenance|other-excessive-speed

Synopsis

A TECHNICIAN DRIVING A TRUCK EXCEEDING THE SPD LIMIT IN DARKNESS WITH RAIN AND GND FOG CUT OFF A CANADAIR CL-65 TURNING IN TO A GATE.

Narrative

WE HAD RAIN ON TOP OF SNOW MOST OF THE DAY. THIS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT GND FOG ONCE THE SUN SET. THE TRUCK I WAS DRIVING SITS HIGHER THAN MOST OF OUR OTHER TRUCKS AND I REALIZED THE NEXT DAY THE WINDSHIELD WAS DIRTY ON THE INSIDE FROM SMOKERS. SOMETHING I COULD NOT SEE IN THE DARK AND FOG. I HAD BEEN WORKING ON ONE OF OUR TURBOPROPS WITHOUT MUCH SUCCESS. A PROB HAD BEEN RPTED WITH THE DE-ICE BOOT SYS AND I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE FLT WAS ALREADY DELAYED. I WAS UPSET OVER THE WHOLE DAY. I WAS HAVING A 'BAD' DAY. EVERY CALLOUT TO AN ACFT WAS NOT WHAT IT SEEMED. I HAD MADE SEVERAL TRIPS BACK TO THE SHOP TO GET TOOLS THAT I SHOULD HAVE HAD WITH ME IN THE FIRST PLACE. AFTER MY LAST TRIP OUT TO THE ACFT I WAS WORKING ON; MY SUPVR DROVE UP AND ASKED ME IF I HAD CUT OFF ONE OF OUR JETS COMING INTO THE GATES. MY RESPONSE WAS 'WHAT JET?' HE SAID ONE OF THE PLTS RPTED I HAD CUT THEM OFF COMING IN TO THE GATE. I NEVER SAW THE ACFT. I AM SURE IT WAS LOST IN THE FOG; THE BACKGND AND THE HAZE OF THE WINDSHIELD. COMPLICATING FACTORS: I WAS PROBABLY ONLY LOOKING AT THE R-HAND WINGTIP OF A GRAY AND DARK BLUE REGIONAL JET AGAINST A DARK BROWN BUILDING OR ANOTHER MUCH LARGER JET (B747; B777; B767) OF THE SAME COLOR SCHEME. ADDITIONALLY; THE PLTS USUALLY TURN OFF THE TAXI LIGHTS JUST PRIOR TO TURNING IN TO THE GATE. THE PLT ALSO MENTIONED I WAS MOVING AT A PRETTY GOOD CLIP. I MAY HAVE BEEN EXCEEDING THE SPD LIMIT OF 25 MPH A LITTLE. HOWEVER; EVEN WHEN WE ARE DOING THE SPD LIMIT; OUR VEHICLES ARE MUCH FASTER THAN THE 15 MPH SPD LIMITED TUGS THEY ARE USED TO SEEING.

More incidents for this aircraft family →

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