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Critical ground contact during heavy snow conditions between unknown ground vehicular traffic and an MD80 that had been pushed back from gate at anc, ak.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 541699 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200203 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : anc.airport |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Snow |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : den.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : pushback ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 541699 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : cabs-vd3 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Maintenance Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
During pushback for deicing, tug operator was having a difficult time in deep snow on ground during heavy snow conditions. Tug was jackknifing. Flight crew called maintenance for additional support assistance. Flight crew got clearance from ground to push and hold short of kilo. Captain passed to tug crew to remain short of taxiway K. After several attempts, tug crew was able to push aircraft and stop short of taxiway K. Tug crew told captain to set brakes. Captain set brakes. A few seconds after setting brakes, tug driver told flight crew the aircraft had been hit. Immediately after tug driver, the aft flight attendant called the flight deck to say she heard a loud noise in the aft end of aircraft. The flight deck crew neither felt nor heard anything. The plane was towed back to the gate. Upon inspection, a gash approximately 18 inches was discovered in the rudder about 2 ft from the top. No one on the aircraft or ground was injured.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CRITICAL GND CONTACT DURING HVY SNOW CONDITIONS BTWN UNKNOWN GND VEHICULAR TFC AND AN MD80 THAT HAD BEEN PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AT ANC, AK.
Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FOR DEICING, TUG OPERATOR WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME IN DEEP SNOW ON GND DURING HVY SNOW CONDITIONS. TUG WAS JACKKNIFING. FLC CALLED MAINT FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT ASSISTANCE. FLC GOT CLRNC FROM GND TO PUSH AND HOLD SHORT OF KILO. CAPT PASSED TO TUG CREW TO REMAIN SHORT OF TXWY K. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, TUG CREW WAS ABLE TO PUSH ACFT AND STOP SHORT OF TXWY K. TUG CREW TOLD CAPT TO SET BRAKES. CAPT SET BRAKES. A FEW SECONDS AFTER SETTING BRAKES, TUG DRIVER TOLD FLC THE ACFT HAD BEEN HIT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TUG DRIVER, THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE FLT DECK TO SAY SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE AFT END OF ACFT. THE FLT DECK CREW NEITHER FELT NOR HEARD ANYTHING. THE PLANE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. UPON INSPECTION, A GASH APPROX 18 INCHES WAS DISCOVERED IN THE RUDDER ABOUT 2 FT FROM THE TOP. NO ONE ON THE ACFT OR GND WAS INJURED.
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.