Boeing 737-3H4 N624SW

Summary

On 10 April 2010 at about 02:30 local time, a Boeing 737-3H4 registered N624SW, operated by Southwest Airlines Co, was involved in an accident near Los Angeles, California, United States. 109 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.

Date

10 April 2010 at 02:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Los Angeles, California, United States

Nearest airport

Los Angeles International (LAX)

Coordinates

33.9467, -118.4003

Aircraft

Boeing 737-3H4

Registration

N624SW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Southwest Airlines Co

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Angeles → Tucson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

WPR10FA199

Nobody was injured.

The tug operator’s failure to comply with company procedures when parking an unoccupied baggage tug, and the failure of the tug’s seat switch to disengage the electric motor when weight was removed from the driver’s seat.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

While the airplane was being pushed back for its flight, it was struck by a runaway baggage tug. The tug operator reported that he stopped on the ramp to pick up two bags. He exited the tug without setting its parking brake, turning off its engine, or placing the gear selector in neutral or park, which was not in accordance with the tug company’s ground equipment general driving rules. The tug operator then placed the first bag on the passenger seat, which company procedures caution against doing. While the tug operator was handling the second bag, the unoccupied tug began to move because the first bag had fallen off the passenger seat onto the accelerator pedal. The tug moved forward, struck a hydrant fueling cart on the ramp, and then veered toward the left side of the airplane. The tug impacted both of the airplane’s engines and its fuselage. If the tug operator had followed company driving rules, the accident could have been prevented. In addition, postaccident examination of the tug revealed that the electrical motor disengaging seat switch, which is designed to disengage the tug's electrical motor when weight is removed from the driver's seat, was inoperative; therefore, it did not prevent the tug from moving forward as designed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.