Boeing 727-290 N291AS

Summary

On 13 April 1988 at about 20:10 local time, a Boeing 727-290 registered N291AS, operated by Alaska Airlines, Inc., was involved in an incident near Portland, Oregon, United States. 98 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

13 April 1988 at 20:10

Classification

Incident

Location

Portland, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Portland Intnl (PDX)

Coordinates

45.5695, -122.5891

Aircraft

Boeing 727-290

Registration

N291AS

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA88IA074

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE BOEING 727 WAS PUSHED BACK FM THE GATE COUNTERCLOCKWISE THROUGH AN ARC OF 90 DEGREES RESULTING IN MISPOSITIONING THE ACFT RELATIVE TO THE INTENDED TAXI DIRECTION. THE GROUND CREW (TUG AND SAFETY OPERATORS) ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE THE OUT OF POSITION CONDITION BY CONTINUING THE PUSH BACK THROUGH A SECOND 90 DEGREE (COUNTERCLOCKWISE) ARC. THIS REQUIRED PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT UPSLOPE ACROSS THE RAMP. DURING THE SECOND 90 DEGREE ARC THE TUG BECAME POSITIONED APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES TO THE TOWBAR/AIRCRAFT LONGITUDINAL AXIS. THE DOWNSLOPE AND IDLE POWER CONDITIONS OVERPOWERED THE TUG'S BRAKING CAPACITY AND THE TOW BAR BROKE UNDER A BENDING LOAD ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL FORWARD IMPACTING THE TUG. ALL THREE B-727 ENGINES WERE OPERATING AT IDLE THRUST.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.