Summary
On September 08, 1994, a Canadair CL600 (N403SW) was involved in an incident near Burbank, CA. All 36 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The ground crew's failure to follow company procedures. The failure of the operator to provide headsets to communicate with the flightcrew and the poor lighting conditions were factors in this accident.
On September 8, 1994, at 0600 Pacific daylight time, a Canadair CL600, N403SW, collided with a tug after pushback at the Burbank Airport, Burbank, California. N403SW was operating as Skywest Airlines flight 5967, a scheduled domestic passenger flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. There were no injuries to the 33 passengers, 3 crewmembers, and 4 ground personnel.
In the Skywest Airlines Ground Accident Report, ground personnel reported that after pushback they gave the pilots hand signals to set the parking brake. Headsets were not made available for communication with the flightcrew and the light condition was dark. After giving the brake signal twice, the tow bar was disconnected.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX94LA357. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N403SW.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the ground crew's failure to follow company procedures. The failure of the operator to provide headsets to communicate with the flightcrew and the poor lighting conditions were factors in this accident.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On September 8, 1994, at 0600 Pacific daylight time, a Canadair CL600, N403SW, collided with a tug after pushback at the Burbank Airport, Burbank, California. N403SW was operating as Skywest Airlines flight 5967, a scheduled domestic passenger flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. There were no injuries to the 33 passengers, 3 crewmembers, and 4 ground personnel.
In the Skywest Airlines Ground Accident Report, ground personnel reported that after pushback they gave the pilots hand signals to set the parking brake. Headsets were not made available for communication with the flightcrew and the light condition was dark. After giving the brake signal twice, the tow bar was disconnected. The airplane rolled forward and impacted the tug. The tug operator reported that the pilots were not clearly visible because of glare from the cockpit window and poor lighting.
The pilots stated in the report that they were monitoring engine indications following the completion of engine start. They did not see the tug operator's brake signal. No signal to disconnect was given by the captain or first officer.
According to Skywest Airlines Regional Jet Pushback Procedures, dated April 1, 1994: "Ground crew interphone will be used for all ground/cockpit communications. If the interphone is inoperative, hand signals will be used. Once pushback has ceased, the ground crew will instruct the crew over the interphone or by hand signals to set the parking brake. Once the tow bar and interphone cable has been disconnected, the torque link reconnected, and the tug and towbar are at a safe distance, the ground crew will signal with a departure salute that the aircraft is clear to taxi. The captain will acknowledge by returning the salute."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX94LA357