Pilot Debrief

Bombardier, Inc. CL-600-2C10 near San Francisco, CA — 2008-01-14

Final reportSEA08LA061
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Date
2008-01-14
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Airport
KSFO
Aircraft
Bombardier, Inc. CL-600-2C10
Registration
N705SK
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The company tug operator of the other airplane's failure to maintain clearance with this aircraft during the pushback process. Also causal was the ground controller's failure to alert the pilot of this aircraft and tug operator of the other airplane of the simultaneous pushback occurring from adjacent gates. Contributing to the accident was the company's pushback operation without the use of wing/tail walkers. --- The company tug operator's failure to maintain clearance with another aircraft during the pushback process. Also causal was the ground controller's failure to alert the pilot of the other aircraft and tug operator of this airplane of the simultaneous pushback occurring from adjacent gates. Contributing to the accident was the company's pushback operation without the use of wing/tail walkers.

NTSB narrative

A Boeing 757-222 airplane and a Bombardier Inc. CL-600-2C10 were substantially damaged when the tails of both airplanes collided during the pushback process from two adjacent terminal gates during night visual meteorological conditions. The flight crew of the CL-600-2C10 reported that during the final stages of pushback from gate 79, they were in a stopped position with both engines running while their ground crew was in the process of disconnecting the tug when the collision occurred. Company maintenance personnel stated they were pushing the 757-222 back from gate 80 without the use of wing-walkers or tail walkers to relocate the airplane to another location on the airport and did not see the CL-600-2C10. Review of Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication recordings between ground control and both airplanes revealed that the 757-222 was initially cleared for pushback onto taxiway alpha from gate 80. About 41 seconds later, the ground controller cleared the CL-600-2C10 to push back onto taxiway alpha from gate 79. The recordings revealed that the ground controller did not advise either aircraft of near simultaneous adjacent pushback operations. The controller stated that he believed there was room for both aircraft to push back and did not foresee a traffic conflict.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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