Ground vehicle strikes radome of aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	258482
Time
Date	199312
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ewr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	258482
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	258589
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During taxi in to gate at pit, I saw baggage tug round corner of airport at high speed. Called out traffic to captain, who locked brakes. We were virtually stopped when tug struck aircraft radome. Tug driver never saw aircraft, never hit brakes. WX was night, light rain, wet ramp, temperature plus or minus 41 degrees F. Impact tore a hole in radome approximately 4 ft square, damaged radar antenna. Captain requested tow-in to gate after impact. Maintenance asked us to restart engine and taxi in since damage was confined to radome area. Driver of tug was looking to her right throughout the time I saw her approaching. She never looked forward, never saw the aircraft, never used her brakes, and was probably driving too fast for congested ramp conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND VEHICLE STRIKES RADOME OF ACFT.

Narrative: DURING TAXI IN TO GATE AT PIT, I SAW BAGGAGE TUG ROUND CORNER OF ARPT AT HIGH SPD. CALLED OUT TFC TO CAPT, WHO LOCKED BRAKES. WE WERE VIRTUALLY STOPPED WHEN TUG STRUCK ACFT RADOME. TUG DRIVER NEVER SAW ACFT, NEVER HIT BRAKES. WX WAS NIGHT, LIGHT RAIN, WET RAMP, TEMP PLUS OR MINUS 41 DEGS F. IMPACT TORE A HOLE IN RADOME APPROX 4 FT SQUARE, DAMAGED RADAR ANTENNA. CAPT REQUESTED TOW-IN TO GATE AFTER IMPACT. MAINT ASKED US TO RESTART ENG AND TAXI IN SINCE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO RADOME AREA. DRIVER OF TUG WAS LOOKING TO HER R THROUGHOUT THE TIME I SAW HER APCHING. SHE NEVER LOOKED FORWARD, NEVER SAW THE ACFT, NEVER USED HER BRAKES, AND WAS PROBABLY DRIVING TOO FAST FOR CONGESTED RAMP CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.