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| Date: | Friday 19 August 1994 |
| Time: | 09:24 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 757-2S7 |
| Owner/operator: | America West Airlines |
| Registration: | N901AW |
| MSN: | 23321/76 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1985 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 35188 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 168 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Phoenix, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Pushback / towing |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Newark, NJ (KEWR) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE HEADSET OPERATOR WAS DISTRACTED FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS DURING PUSHBACK AND WAS RUN OVER BY THE NOSE WHEEL. GROUND WITNESSES SAID HE FAILED TO MAINTAIN A POSITION AT LEAST 10 FEET FROM THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE WHEEL AS HIS EMPLOYER REQUIRED. THE HEADSET OPERATOR WAS IN CHARGE OF THE PUSHBACK, AND IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH WAS HIRED AND COMPLETED THE OPERATOR'S COURSE OF RAMP SAFETY/PUSHBACK INSTRUCTION. THIS WAS HIS FIRST UNSUPERVISED EXPERIENCE. THE AIRLINE HAS A PROCEDURE WHICH REQUIRED THE HEADSET OPERATOR TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FLIGHT DECK VIA A COMMUNICATIONS CORD WHICH WAS PLUGGED INTO THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE GEAR STRUT. THE AIRLINE HAD A SIMILAR GROUND ACCIDENT IN 1989 WHEN THE AIRLINE'S B-757 ALSO OVERRAN A HEADSET OPERATOR. IN APRIL 1994, THE FAA ALERTED THE OPERATOR OF HEADSET PUSHBACK ACCIDENTS FOLLOWING THE ISSUANCE OF THE SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDATION A-93-55. AFTER THIS ACCIDENT, THE AIRLINE CHANGED ITS GROUND HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES TO ELIMINATE THE NECESSITY OF A HEADSET OPERATOR WALKING IN THE PROXIMITY OF ANY AIRCRAFT NOSE WHEEL.
Probable Cause: the failure of the headset operator to adhere to established company safety procedures when he diverted his attention during pushback. A factor in the accident was the airline's failure to modify its ground handling procedures and equipment to eliminate the need for ground personnel to be in close proximity to the aircraft landing gear during pushback operations.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX94LA333
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Mar-2024 16:20 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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