Incident Overview

Date: Thursday 28 April 2016
Aircraft Type: Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-200ER
Owner/operator: United Express, opb SkyWest Airlines
Registration Number: N961SW
Location: San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO) – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Standing
Status: Substantial
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 30
Component Affected: N961SW’s stabilizer and right elevator.N961SW’s stabilizer and right elevator.
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A SkyWest Airlines CRJ-200 aircraft was struck by a Boeing 777 during a tugging operation at San Francisco International Airport (KSFO). The tug driver, observing wing walkers, initiated a reverse maneuver before approaching the aircraft, causing a collision. The tug driver?s failure to comply with the wing walkers? instructions resulted in the collision.A SkyWest Airlines CRJ-200 aircraft was struck by a Boeing 777 during a tugging operation at San Francisco International Airport (KSFO). The tug driver, observing wing walkers, initiated a reverse maneuver before approaching the aircraft, causing a collision. The tug driver?s failure to comply with the wing walkers? instructions resulted in the collision.

Description

SkyWest Airlines flight 5260, a CRJ-200, was struck after being pushed back from the gate by an airplane that was being towed by maintenance personnel at San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), California, USA. There were no injuries and both airplanes received substantial damage. After having been pushed back from the gate, N961SW was awaiting taxi clearance with engines operating and the parking brake set when it was struck by the Boeing 777 that was being reposition under tow. The tug driver that was pushing the Boeing 777 indicated that he saw wing walkers on both sides and began to push back. He stated that he never saw any signal from the wing walker’s signal wands indicating to stop. The left wing walker stated that the tow driver started pushing the Boeing 777 in reverse before asking if he and the other walkers were ready stating, that the airplane “was halfway out of the gate before I could react.” He stated that, after the airplane entered the roadway, he notice that the tug driver was not slowing down as he approached N961SW. The left wing walk made an “X” with his signal wands and then started jumping up and down and moving to better location to be seen. The Boeing 777’s lower left fuselage contacted the right stabilizer of N961SW resulting in substantial damage to the stabilizer and right elevator. Probable cause: “The tug driver’s failure to comply with the wing walkers direction to stop, which resulted in the towed airplane colliding with N961SW.”

Primary Cause

Failure to comply with wing walkers’ instructions, leading to a reverse maneuver.Failure to comply with wing walkers’ instructions, leading to a reverse maneuver.

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