Incident Overview
Date: Monday 27 December 1999
Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-377
Owner/operator: Ansett Australia Airlines
Registration Number: VH-CZM
Location: Melbourne-Tullamarine Airport, VIC (MEL) –
ÿ Australia
Phase of Flight: Pushback / towing
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Component Affected: Boeing 737 Nose Landing Gear Drag BraceBoeing 737 Nose Landing Gear Drag Brace
Category: Accident
A Boeing 737 aircraft was struck by a pushback tractor while pre-departure preparations were underway. The tractor initiated a sudden movement, resulting in a fracture of the nose landing gear drag brace and a pivot of the aircraft nose landing gear assembly, trapping it between the tractor and the fuselage.A Boeing 737 aircraft was struck by a pushback tractor while pre-departure preparations were underway. The tractor initiated a sudden movement, resulting in a fracture of the nose landing gear drag brace and a pivot of the aircraft nose landing gear assembly, trapping it between the tractor and the fuselage.
Description
During the pre-departure preparations, one end of a towbar was connected to the nose landing gear of a Boeing 737 aircraft and a pushback tractor was positioned approximately one metre from the towbar’s opposite end. A ground engineer subsequently started the tractor with the intention of hooking up to the towbar. When the engineer released the handbrake, the tractor lurched forward and struck the towbar. The force of the impact fractured the aircraft nose landing gear drag brace. The nose landing gear assembly then pivoted back under the aircraft, becoming jammed between the towbar and the aircraft fuselage. The investigation was unable to determine the reason for the sudden movement of the pushback tractor.
Primary Cause
Operator error ? improper release of the handbrake while tractor was engaged, leading to a sudden and uncontrolled movement of the tractor.Operator error ? improper release of the handbrake while tractor was engaged, leading to a sudden and uncontrolled movement of the tractor.Share on:
