Boeing 737-300LR N516AU
8 December 1992 · Flushing, New York, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 8 December 1992 at about 14:02 local time, a Boeing 737-300LR registered N516AU, operated by Usair, was involved in an accident near Flushing, New York, United States. 60 people were on board. One person on the ground also died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:02
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Flushing, New York, United States
- Nearest airport
- La Guardia (KLGA)
- Coordinates
- 40.7690, -73.8695
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-300LR
- Registration
- N516AU
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Usair
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Tampa
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC93LA040
People
Injuries not recorded.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured | On the ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 1 |
Probable cause
A LACK OF ADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE WALKER AND TUG WHICH RESULTED IN THE WALKER BEING STRUCK BY THE TUG WHEN HE FELL FOR UNKNOWN REASON(S). A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF A POLICY TO STAY CLEAR OF THE TUG, TOWBAR, AND NOSEWHEEL OF THE AIRPLANE, WHILE PUSHBACK OPERATIONS ARE IN MOTION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE B737 WAS BEING PUSHED BACK USING A 2 MAN GROUND CREW. THE TUG DRIVER WAS SEATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TUG. THE WALKER WAS FORWARD OF THE TUG, ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE, USING A 15 FT HEADSET CORD WHICH RESTRICTED HIS ABILITY TO STAY CLEAR OF THE NOSEWHEEL, TUG, AND TOWBAR. THE TUG DRIVER SAID THAT IN HIS PERIPHERAL VISION, HE SAW THE WALKER FALL AND STOPPED THE TUG IMMEDIATELY; HOWEVER, THE TUG WAS NOT STOPPED PRIOR TO STRIKING THE FALLEN WALKER WHO WAS FATALLY INJURED. NO WITNESSES WERE FOUND WHO COULD SAY WHY THE WALKER FELL. EXAMINATION OF COMPANY PROCEDURES REVEALED THEY ISSUED A MAINTENANCE TRAINING BULLETIN IN 12/89. THE BULLETIN REFERENCED A 'REQUIREMENT' TO STAY CLEAR OF THE AIRPLANE NOSEWHEEL. ALTHOUGH SENT TO ALL STATIONS, THE BULLETIN WAS NOT MANDATORY READING AND IT WAS NOT DETERMINED IF THE WALKER WAS AWARE OF ITS CONTENT. IN ADDITION, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BULLETIN WERE NOT IMPLEMENTED INTO THE GENERAL MAINTENANCE MANUAL.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Boeing 737 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 1992 | Boeing 737-300 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | Usair | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1992 | Boeing 737-200 | Miami, Florida, United States | Carnival Airlines | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 May 1992 | Boeing 737-200 | Palacios, Texas, United States | Southwest Airlines Co. | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1992 | Boeing 737-204 | Tucuti, Panama | Copa Airlines | Unknown | - |
| 3 Aug 1992 | Boeing 737-300 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | Southwest Airlines, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1992 | Boeing 737-200 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Mark Air, Inc | No injuries | - |
All 1,317 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Aug 1992 | Taylorcraft BC-65 | Suffern, New York, United States | Paul K. Nozell | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1992 | MBB BO-105CBS | Brooklyn, New York, United States | New York City Police Dept | Unknown | - |
| 2 Oct 1992 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Akron, New York, United States | Robert S. Gordy | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 1992 | Douglas DC-9-30 | Horseheads, New York, United States | Usair | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Dec 1992 | Piper PA-22-108 | Williamson, New York, United States | Williamson Flying Club, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 1992 | Cessna 152 | Quaker Street, New York, United States | Theodore S. la Fond | No injuries | - |