Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Phoenix, Arizona 85034
Friday, August 19, 1994 9:24 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/19/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 924 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | PHOENIX |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85034 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PHX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1133 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 38 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 1 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 167 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1713 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 19 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N901AW |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA333 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 757-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 757-200 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23321 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 241000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 190 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 19 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 35188 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MERIDIAN TRUST COMPANY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 35 NORTH SIXTH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | READING |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19601 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AMERICA WEST AIRLINES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4000 E. SKY HARBOR BLVD. |
| Operator City | PHOENIX |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85034 |
| Operator Code | AWXA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 923 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | EWR |
| Destination City | NEWARK |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2002 12:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |