Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
La Guardia Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Flushing, New York 11371
Tuesady, December 8, 1992 9:02 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE B737 WAS BEING PUSHED BACK USING A 2 MAN GROUND CREW. THE TUG DRIVER WAS SEATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TUG. THE WALKER WAS FORWARD OF THE TUG, ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE, USING A 15 FT HEADSET CORD WHICH RESTRICTED HIS ABILITY TO STAY CLEAR OF THE NOSEWHEEL, TUG, AND TOWBAR. THE TUG DRIVER SAID THAT IN HIS PERIPHERAL VISION, HE SAW THE WALKER FALL AND STOPPED THE TUG IMMEDIATELY; HOWEVER, THE TUG WAS NOT STOPPED PRIOR TO STRIKING THE FALLEN WALKER WHO WAS FATALLY INJURED. NO WITNESSES WERE FOUND WHO COULD SAY WHY THE WALKER FELL. EXAMINATION OF COMPANY PROCEDURES REVEALED THEY ISSUED A MAINTENANCE TRAINING BULLETIN IN 12/89. THE BULLETIN REFERENCED A 'REQUIREMENT' TO STAY CLEAR OF THE AIRPLANE NOSEWHEEL. ALTHOUGH SENT TO ALL STATIONS, THE BULLETIN WAS NOT MANDATORY READING AND IT WAS NOT DETERMINED IF THE WALKER WAS AWARE OF ITS CONTENT. IN ADDITION, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BULLETIN WERE NOT IMPLEMENTED INTO THE GENERAL MAINTENANCE MANUAL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A LACK OF ADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE WALKER AND TUG WHICH RESULTED IN THE WALKER BEING STRUCK BY THE TUG WHEN HE FELL FOR UNKNOWN REASON(S). A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF A POLICY TO STAY CLEAR OF THE TUG, TOWBAR, AND NOSEWHEEL OF THE AIRPLANE, WHILE PUSHBACK OPERATIONS ARE IN MOTION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/8/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 902 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | FLUSHING |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 11371 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LA GUARDIA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KLGA |
| 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 | 22 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 900 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 1 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LGA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 22 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| 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 | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 1 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 59 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 604 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 8 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 936 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 48002 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N516AU |
| NTSB Number | NYC93LA040 |
| 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 | 737-300LR |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 737-300LR |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23702 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 138500 |
| 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 | 130 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 3 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 43 |
| Airframe Hours | 17594 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | USAIR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2345 CRYSTAL DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ARLINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22227 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | USAIR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2345 CRYSTAL DRIVE |
| Operator City | ARLINGTON |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 22227 |
| Operator Code | USAA |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KLGA |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KTPA |
| Destination City | TAMPA |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |