Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Palm Beach International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
West Palm Beach, Florida 33414
Wednesday, May 24, 1995 12:48 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE WITH TWO ENGINES OPERATING DUE TO AN INOPERATIVE APU. THE TUG DRIVER WAS ASSISTED BY TWO WING WALKERS. THERE WAS NO SIGNALMAN IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT AS REQUIRED BY DELTA AIRLINES PUSHBACK PROCEDURES. AFTER PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHT BACK AND TURNING THE TAIL TO THE LEFT THE TUG WAS POSITIONED TO THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. AS THE TUG MOVED FORWARD TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSE GEAR THE SAFETY PIN ON THE TUG END OF THE TOW BAR SHEERED. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE TUG AND ROLLED FORWARD STRIKING THE TUG WITH THE RIGHT FRONT AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT. AS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED FORWARD THE TUG DRIVER'S HEADSET BECAME DISCONNECT FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE COCKPIT CREW WAS LOST.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE GROUND PUSHBACK CREW TO FOLLOW DELTA AIRLINES PUSHBACK PROCEDURES AND PLACE A SIGNALMAN FORWARD OF THE AIRCRAFT IN VIEW OF THE CAPTAIN DURING PUSHBACK. THIS RESULTED IN THE CAPTAIN NOT BEING AWARE THAT THE TUG TOW BAR HAD DISCONNECTED AND THE NEED FOR HIM TO APPLY BRAKES TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/24/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1248 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | WEST PALM BEACH |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33414 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PBI |
| 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 | 19 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1256 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PBI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 19 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1200 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 136 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 269 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 24 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1530 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N489DA |
| NTSB Number | MIA95LA135 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 727-232 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 727-232 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21019 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 142000 |
| 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 | 152 |
| Number of Engines | 3 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 6 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 600 |
| Airframe Hours | 60114 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DELTA AIR LINES INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | ATLANTA AIRPORT |
| Aircraft Owner City | ATLANTA |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30320 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | DALA |
| 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 | PBI |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1248 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ATL |
| Destination City | ATLANTA |
| Destination State | GA |
| 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 | -- |