 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A technician reports that ord airport has been allowing large regional aircraft; including crj and erj airplanes; to be towed with towbarless high speed douglas and goldhofer super tugs (tractors). No one is in the cockpit; no hydraulic power; no electrical power; no aircraft beacon and no aircraft navigation lighting is required even at night. He notes that darkened aircraft are a safety hazard.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1206911 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201409 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Other Aircraft Tow |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Lead Technician |
| Qualification | Maintenance Powerplant Maintenance Airframe |
| Experience | Maintenance Inspector 1 Maintenance Lead Technician 23 Maintenance Technician 30 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
Crj and other types regional aircraft are being transported cross-field daily using a towbarless tractor. The cockpit is not occupied. The APU is 'off.' there is no aircraft beacon; no aircraft navigation lighting. Movements are being made day and night. Taxiways crossing intersecting runways are utilized. Runways are being crossed without use of aircraft beacons or navigation lighting. Runways crossed are both active and inactive. Large transport aircraft following behind the towbarless tractored aircraft cannot see the tow vehicle lighting when blocked by the empennage and fuselage of the aircraft being towed. A continuation of this violation of traditional and necessary aircraft lighting and visual cues can lead to a serious accident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A Technician reports that ORD Airport has been allowing large Regional aircraft; including CRJ and ERJ airplanes; to be towed with towbarless high speed Douglas and Goldhofer Super tugs (tractors). No one is in the cockpit; no hydraulic power; no electrical power; no aircraft beacon and no aircraft navigation lighting is required even at night. He notes that darkened aircraft are a safety hazard.
Narrative: CRJ and other types regional aircraft are being transported cross-field daily using a towbarless tractor. The cockpit is not occupied. The APU is 'off.' There is no aircraft beacon; no aircraft navigation lighting. Movements are being made day and night. Taxiways crossing intersecting runways are utilized. Runways are being crossed without use of aircraft beacons or navigation lighting. Runways crossed are both active and inactive. Large transport aircraft following behind the towbarless tractored aircraft cannot see the tow vehicle lighting when blocked by the empennage and fuselage of the aircraft being towed. A continuation of this violation of traditional and necessary aircraft lighting and visual cues can lead to a serious accident.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.