Boeing 777-22B N222UA
7 October 2003 · San Francisco, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 7 October 2003 at about 18:57 local time, a Boeing 777-22B registered N222UA, operated by United Airlines Inc, was involved in an accident near San Francisco, California, United States. 450 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:57
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- San Francisco International (KSFO)
- Coordinates
- 37.6189, -122.3747
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777-22B
- Registration
- N222UA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- United Airlines Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- San Francisco → Osaka
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX04LA007
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 450 |
Probable cause
the failure of the taxiing Boeing 777's flight crew to maintain clearance from a Boeing 777 that was being pushed back from the gate. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the local ramp controller to caution either aircrew of a possible movement conflict.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
An All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 777-281 and a United Airlines (UAL) Boeing 777-22B both sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision between both airplanes' right wing tips. The collision occurred in a nonmovement area ramp surrounding the G terminal. This ramp area is under the control of a local ground control tower operated by United Airlines. Both aircraft were under the control of the ramp control tower at the time of the collision. The transfer of ground control responsibility from the ramp control tower to the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control Tower for an aircraft arriving or departing the G terminal is Spot 10. Spot 10 is where the G-ramp intersects taxiway A. Gate G-102 is the closest terminal gate to Spot 10 and is along the southern boundary of taxiway A. The ANA 777 had been cleared to taxi to Spot 10 by the ramp control tower was taxing outbound past gate G-102. The UAL 777 had been cleared by the ramp control tower to push back from gate G-102. Review of the recorded radio communications revealed that the ramp controller did not issue a cautionary advisory to either crew regarding the movements of the respective airplanes. The UAL 777 push back tractor driver saw the ANA 777 approach and stopped the push back just moments before the collision. The ANA flight crew saw the UAL 777 and maneuvered slightly to the left, away from the airplane, in an attempt to ensure wing tip clearance just prior to contact. None of the pilots on the ANA 777 could visually see their airplane's wingtips from the cockpit. The UAL 777's wing walker was on the left side of the airplane blocking traffic and noticed the ANA 777's approach and collision just moments after the UAL 777's push back was halted.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 777-22B | N222UA | United Airlines Inc | Substantial |
| Boeing 777-281 | JA709A | - | Substantial |
Other Boeing 777 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 2003 | Boeing 777-223 | Miami, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 2003 | Boeing 777-300 | Chennai, India | Emirates | Unknown | - |
| 18 Oct 2004 | Boeing 777 | Saint-Denis, Reunion | Air Austral | Unknown | - |
| 25 Jul 2004 | Boeing 777 | Miami, Florida, United States | American Airlines Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Mar 2005 | Boeing 777-200 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Continental Airlines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2001 | Boeing 777 | Frankfurt, Germany | United Airlines | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2003 | Cessna 414 | Palm Springs, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 2003 | Omf OMF-100-160 | Van Nuys, California, United States | Alliance International | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 2003 | Cessna 152 | Salinas, California, United States | Squadron 2 | No injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 2003 | Beechcraft A36TC | Visalia, California, United States | John Rodgers | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2003 | Cessna 150F | Reedley, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2003 | McClanahan STITS PLAYMATE SA-11 | Fontana, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |