Oakland Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Oakland, California 94614
Thursday, October 24, 1985 7:00 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON OCTOBER 24, 1985, AN AMERICAN AIRLINES 727 COLLIDED WITH A PARKED UNITED AIRLINES 727 DURING A POWER BACK OPERATION AT OAKLAND, CA. IMC EXISTED AT THE TIME WITH VISIBILITY LIMITED TO 0 FT DUE TO FOG. THE AA AC SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO ITS LEFT WING AND THE UA AC RECIEVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ITS TR WG. AA HAD TWO WING WALKERS AND A LEAD WALKER POSITIONED AT THE NOSE OF THE AA AC. THE LEAD PERSON STATED HER GOGGLES HAD FOGGED OVER AND COULDN'T CLEARLY SEE THE OTHER WING WALKERS. ADDTIONALLY, THE WANDS USED BY LEAD AND THE LT WING WALKER WERE INOPERATIVE. ACCORDING TO OTHER WITNESSES, LEAD DID NOT SEE THE STOP SIGNAL GIVEN BY THE LEFT WING WALKER. LEAD SAID SHE THOUGHT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 10/24/1985
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 700
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City OAKLAND
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94614
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport OAKLAND
Event Location Nearest Airport ID OAK
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 6
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 645 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID OAK
Elevation of weather observation facility 6
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Dawn
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 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 90
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5066
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 24 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 750
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 30173
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6815A
NTSB Number LAX86IA021
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING
Aircraft Model 727-200
Aircraft Series Identifier 727-200
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 178000
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 162
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City DALLAS
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75261
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 AA
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 700
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City CHICAGO
Destination State IL
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 --