Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Los Angeles International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Los Angeles, California 90009
Friday, April 9, 2010 19:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While the airplane was being pushed back for its flight, it was struck by a runaway baggage tug. The tug operator reported that he stopped on the ramp to pick up two bags. He exited the tug without setting its parking brake, turning off its engine, or placing the gear selector in neutral or park, which was not in accordance with the tug company’s ground equipment general driving rules. The tug operator then placed the first bag on the passenger seat, which company procedures caution against doing. While the tug operator was handling the second bag, the unoccupied tug began to move because the first bag had fallen off the passenger seat onto the accelerator pedal. The tug moved forward, struck a hydrant fueling cart on the ramp, and then veered toward the left side of the airplane. The tug impacted both of the airplane’s engines and its fuselage. If the tug operator had followed company driving rules, the accident could have been prevented. In addition, postaccident examination of the tug revealed that the electrical motor disengaging seat switch, which is designed to disengage the tug's electrical motor when weight is removed from the driver's seat, was inoperative; therefore, it did not prevent the tug from moving forward as designed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The tug operator’s failure to comply with company procedures when parking an unoccupied baggage tug, and the failure of the tug’s seat switch to disengage the electric motor when weight was removed from the driver’s seat.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/9/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1930 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Los Angeles |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90009 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335648N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1182401W |
| Event Location Airport | Los Angeles International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LAX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 125 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LAX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 125 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.88 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KLAX 100153Z 24010KT 8SM FEW014 14/10 A2988 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 109 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31129 |
| NTSB Notification Source | AWP-6 Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 13 2013 2:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | seak |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N624SW |
| NTSB Number | WPR10FA199 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 737-3H4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 27934 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 149 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 7 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 46873 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | DALLAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75235-1908 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | DALLAS |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 75235-1908 |
| Operator Code | SWAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | SWAA304A |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | LAX |
| Departure City | Los Angeles |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1930 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TUS |
| Destination City | Tucson |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 19 2013 12:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24L |
| Runway Length | 10285 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |