Boeing 767-375ER – C-GHOZ

Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 12 September 2017

Aircraft Type: Boeing 767-375ER

Owner/operator: Air Canada

Registration Number: C-GHOZ

Location: Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX) – ÿ United States of America

Phase of Flight: Standing

Status: Substantial, repaired

Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:

Component Affected: The B737’s wingtip and the B767’s horizontal stabilizer.The B737’s wingtip and the B767’s horizontal stabilizer.

Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB

Category: Accident

On October 26, 2023, a near-miss incident occurred at Los Angeles International Airport, California, USA, involving United Airlines flight 447 and Air Canada flight 785. The Boeing 737-900 (N69813) struck the right winglet of the Air Canada Boeing 767-300ER (C-GHOZ) at approximately 15 feet short of the stop line, resulting in minor damage to the B767. The B767 was marshalled onto gate 69B after arrival, and the B737 was instructed to stop. The B737’s captain reported a visual discrepancy between the nosewheel’s tracking and the taxiway centerline, leading to a potential collision. The B767 tail extended beyond the taxiway, creating a visual obstruction. Ground crew members observed that the B767 was hooked to a tug, but there was no indication of towing. The B737 then returned to the gate and deployed passengers normally, while the B767 was towed into the gate. The B737’s flight crew reported a minor contact between the wingtip and the horizontal stabilizer, and ATC instructed them to verify clearance. The B767’s tail extended beyond the taxiway centerline, prompting the captain to request a visual confirmation of the situation. The incident was investigated and the B737’s flight crew is suspected of misjudging the clearance between the wingtip and the horizontal stabilizer.On October 26, 2023, a near-miss incident occurred at Los Angeles International Airport, California, USA, involving United Airlines flight 447 and Air Canada flight 785. The Boeing 737-900 (N69813) struck the right winglet of the Air Canada Boeing 767-300ER (C-GHOZ) at approximately 15 feet short of the stop line, resulting in minor damage to the B767. The B767 was marshalled onto gate 69B after arrival, and the B737 was instructed to stop. The B737’s captain reported a visual discrepancy between the nosewheel’s tracking and the taxiway centerline, leading to a potential collision. The B767 tail extended beyond the taxiway, creating a visual obstruction. Ground crew members observed that the B767 was hooked to a tug, but there was no indication of towing. The B737 then returned to the gate and deployed passengers normally, while the B767 was towed into the gate. The B737’s flight crew reported a minor contact between the wingtip and the horizontal stabilizer, and ATC instructed them to verify clearance. The B767’s tail extended beyond the taxiway centerline, prompting the captain to request a visual confirmation of the situation. The incident was investigated and the B737’s flight crew is suspected of misjudging the clearance between the wingtip and the horizontal stabilizer.

Description

United Airlines flight 447, a Boeing 737-900 (N69813) sustained damage when the right hand winglet scraped the horizontal stabilizer of Air Canada flight 785, a Boeing 767-300ER (C-GHOZ) at Los Angeles International Airport, California, USA. The Boeing 767 was being marshalled onto gate 69B after arrival and was instructed to stop approximately 15 feet short of the stop line because it is normally a tow-in gate. The flight crew shut down the engines and awaited the ground crew to hook up the tow bar. There are white lines painted around each gate area to aid ground vehicles driving on the ramp. The B767 tail protruded beyond the white lines perpendicular to, and adjacent to, taxiway C. The Boeing 737 was taxiing out for departure via taxiway C in accordance with ATC instructions. The captain reported that he saw the B767 and maneuvered left of centerline for more clearance. However, the NTSB reports that surveillance video from Gate 69B showed that the B737 nosewheel was tracking along the yellow centerline of taxiway C. The captain asked the first officer (FO), who was heads down making FMS entries, to look and verify if they had enough clearance. The FO reported he saw that the B767 was hooked up to the tug but wasn’t sure if it was being towed. He judged that there was about 5 feet of clearance. He said he saw no action by the marshallers indicating they thought the airplanes were too close. As the airplane continued taxiing, the right winglet of the B737 contacted the horizontal stabilizer of the B767. The flight crew reported that they did not feel an impact but were told by ATC that the collision had occurred. The B737 returned to the gate and deplaned passengers normally. The B767 was towed into the gate and deplaned passengers normally. C-GHOZ received substantial damage to its right hand elevator’s lower right stabilizer control surface. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The B737 flight crew’s misjudgement of the clearance between their wingtip and the B767 horizontal stabilizer.”

Primary Cause

The B737 flight crew’s misjudgment of the clearance between their wingtip and the B767 horizontal stabilizer.The B737 flight crew’s misjudgment of the clearance between their wingtip and the B767 horizontal stabilizer.

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