United 757 Backs into a SkyWest Plane

[cheechm]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/14/MN6LUES3S.DTL&tsp=1

Airports stay the same size...air travel increases. We can see more and more of this occurrences to come.

[Dave Gittins]

Apprently an (extremely expensive) error of judgement and steering by the tug driver and who ever was guiding him.

The linked article makes it sound like the United driver was reversing his 75 but wasn't looking ... somehow don't think he can be to blame.

But what do the press ever know ... or report accurately ???

:ugh:

To echo the previous poster ... I was at O'hare recently and the numbers of ground movements, and the way some of the little CRJs were passing other aeroplanes up what looked like blind cul-de-sacs was something of a revelation

[TheOddOne]

Airports stay the same size...air travel increases. We can see more and more of this occurrences to come.

You CAN, but there's no need. A properly run aerodrome with an efficient Safety Management System (SMS) in place can double its passenger numbers and double them again, without creating the environment in which this sort of accident is more likely than before.

To paraphrase a popular safety cliche,

'if you think employing wing walkers is expensive, try having an accident'. I'm sure the cost of this accident would have paid for properly trained personnel for several years.

TheOddOne

[Speedbird48]

It's nothing to do with a properly run airport. At Dulles they have rules, but United, being the bigger Gorilla, does what it likes.

They managed to push a Lufthansa 74' into one of their own 777's a little while ago, that cost a fortune when you think of the Boeing team that came to fix Lufthansa, and change the rear end!!

United will not use wingwalkers, and the most they have on a pushback is 2 mechanics, sometimes only one.

It is a union issue with mechanics saying that they are the only ones to do pushbacks, and with the cut backs there are less mechanics. And on it goes.

Speedbird 48.

[barit1]

Almost 30 years ago I was at KATL when two EAL DC-9's on powerback tangled their tailfeathers. :ugh:

[Oilhead]

United mechanics used to do pushbacks but have not since the company went Chapter 11 ands all sorts of cost savings initiatives were dreamt up.

The pushback crews now consist of minimum wage, 90 minutes of training by video, people. The quality of pushback/receipt has plummeted. When mechanics were doing pushback/receipt, UAL had a much better safety record on ground ops.

OH

[Speedbird48]

I stand corrected, but the Lufthansa 74' and the 777 were put together by mechanics.
But as you say, still a bad situation that will lead to more bendings!!

Speedbird 48.

[llondel]

I'm fascinated by this bit:

There were two maintenance workers in the cockpit steering the plane as it was being pushed by the tug truck,

Perhaps they need someone walking along at the rear shouting "Beep! Beep! Beep!" as the aircraft is pushed back.

[PAXboy]

There were two maintenance workers in the cockpit steering the plane as it was being pushed by the tug truckAnother accurate report of life at an airport.

[Huck]

You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

[The Bartender]

...and i always thought monkeys were more into bananas... :hmm: