San Francisco Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Francisco, California 94128
Thursday, August 6, 1992 9:33 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING PUSHBACK FROM A TERMINAL GATE, THE TOWBAR BECAME DISCONNECTED, ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO CONTINUE TO ROLL BACKWARD. GROUND PERSONNEL, UTILIZING AN INTERCOM SYSTEM, CALLED FOR AN EMERGENCY STOP AND THE CAPTAIN APPLIED THE AIRPLANE BRAKES. DURING THE SUDDEN STOP, A CABIN CREW MEMBER LOST HER BALANCE AND FELL AGAINST A SEAT ARMREST, SUSTAINING A FRACTURED SHOULDER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE TOWBAR. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A DISCONNECTED TOW BAR DURING PUSH BACK.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/6/1992
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 933
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City SAN FRANCISCO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94128
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SAN FRANCISCO
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SFO
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 11
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 850 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID SFO
Elevation of weather observation facility 11
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 800
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 260
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 113
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2999
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 6 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1520
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47845
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:12PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9010U
NTSB Number LAX92LA336
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 737-200
Aircraft Series Identifier 737-200
Aircraft Serial Number 19048
Certified Max Gross Weight 109000
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 114
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection May 17 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2440
Airframe Hours 46912
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name UNITED AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 66100
Aircraft Owner City CHICAGO
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60666
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name UNITED AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 66100
Operator City CHICAGO
Operator State IL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 60666
Operator Code UALA
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/Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SFO
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SEA
Destination City SEATTLE
Destination State WA
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 --