LINE SVC TECHNICIAN TOWING A G-II QUESTIONED THE SAFETY OF AN ACR B737 FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE BEHIND THE TOWED ACFT.
Synopsis
LINE SVC TECHNICIAN TOWING A G-II QUESTIONED THE SAFETY OF AN ACR B737 FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE BEHIND THE TOWED ACFT.
Narrative
I AM A LINE SVC TECHNICIAN AND MY WORK OCCASIONALLY HAS ME REPOSITIONING AN ACFT FROM ANOTHER FBO TO OUR RAMP. A GULFSTREAM G-II NEEDED TO BE TOWED FROM THE FBO ON THE N SIDE OF THE AIRFIELD TO OUR RAMP ON THE S END. SINCE I HOLD A PLT'S CERTIFICATE AND OWN A HANDHELD VHF RADIO; I OFFERED TO ASSIST. WHILE TOWING THE ACFT BACK ON TXWY A (WHICH PARALLELS THE ACR TERMINAL); I NOTICED A B737 THAT WAS TAXIING TO HIS GATE PULL UP BEHIND US IN ACCORDANCE TO GND CTL. SINCE WE WERE TOWING THE ACFT; WE WERE OPERATING AT A REDUCED SPD (COMPARABLE TO THAT OF A FAST WALK) AS THIS ALLOWED POSITIVE CTL OF THE ACFT AND A MARGIN OF SAFETY IN THE EVENT OF A TOWBAR BREAKAWAY. HOWEVER; OUR SPD WAS NOT FAST ENOUGH FOR THE B737 CAPT; SO HE PULLED IN VERY CLOSE; WITHIN AN ESTIMATED 15-20 FT FROM THE TAIL OF THE GULFSTREAM. I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS; AS IN THE EVENT OF A TOWBAR BREAKAWAY OR A NEED FOR A SUDDEN STOP; THERE WAS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT THE B737 WOULD HAVE STRUCK THE TAIL OF THE GULFSTREAM; WHICH COULD MEAN THE ACFT RUNNING OVER THE OPEN TUG I WAS SITTING IN. AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT; THIS IS NOT A TOPIC THAT IS FREQUENTLY COVERED IN FLT TRAINING; WHICH IS A MISTAKE. TAILGATING ON THE ROAD IS A MOVING VIOLATION IN MANY JURISDICTIONS; AS WELL AS A KNOWN SAFETY HAZARD. HOW ARE 2 ACFT ON THE GND ANY DIFFERENT? AFTER ALL; ACFT ARE FAR LESS MANEUVERABLE ON THE GND THAN CARS; NECESSITATING INCREASED CAUTION WHEN OPERATING IN CLOSE PROX TO OTHER ACFT ON THE GND. ADDITIONALLY; MANY STUDENT PLTS HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THE PWR OF JETBLAST; AND DO NOT GIVE IT THE RESPECT IT DESERVES. THE THRUST OF MANY JETS IS MORE THAN THE TKOF WT OF MOST TRAINING ACFT. GND OPS TRAINING SHOULD INCLUDE MORE THAN TXWY MARKINGS AND RWY INCURSIONS. WHILE THE FAA IS GETTING OUT AWARENESS OF RWY INCURSIONS; THEY NEED TO START TELLING PLTS TO GIVE OTHER ACFT A WIDER BERTH.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.