Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
San Francisco International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
San Fransico, California 94128
Saturday, June 11, 2011 17:58 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 16, 2011 at approximately 1758 pacific daylight time, United flight 818, a Boeing 757-200, registration N571UA, was substantially damaged during initial pushback from gate 73 at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, California. There were no injuries to the 188 passengers and crew onboard. The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from SFO to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois.
United representatives reported that normal passenger and crew boarding was accomplished using door 2L. The passenger loading bridge (PLB) operator stated she was in position at the loading bridge controls and was prepared to retract the bridge. She reported that the airplane door was closed and the loading bridge canopy was retracted. The PLB operator stated she was waiting for hand signal guidance from the ramp personnel to retract the bridge from the airplane. The PLB operator stated the signal to retract the bridge from the airplane was not received, however, the ramp personnel proceeded to push back the airplane. The ramp employee responsible for the airplane pushback reported that he heard the PLB bell ringing for about one minute, which he thought was enough time for the jetway to be cleared from the airplane. He reported that he then removed the chalks, received clearance from the flight crew, and then commenced to push back the airplane.
As a result of the impact with the jetway, the airplane received a 38 inch x 8.5 inch hole in the fuselage between Fuselage Station (FS) 490 and FS 528 and stringer S-17L and S-18L resulting in damage to frame assemblies and stringers in this area.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The ramp personnel's failure to visually verify the position of the jetway before beginning the airplane pushback.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/11/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1758 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | San Fransico |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 94128 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 373705N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1222316W |
| Event Location Airport | San Francisco International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KSFO |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 315 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| 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 | 190 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 31 2011 12:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | schd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N571UA |
| NTSB Number | DCA11CA073 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 757-222 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 26681 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 178 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 25 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 61787 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UNITED AIR LINES INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1200 E ALGONQUIN RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | ELK GROVE |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60007 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | UNITED AIR LINES INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1200 E ALGONQUIN RD |
| Operator City | ELK GROVE |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 60007 |
| 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 | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KSFO |
| Departure City | San Fransico |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KORD |
| Destination City | Chicago |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2011 2:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | sedj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |