Boeing 737-7H4 N913WN

Summary

On 10 May 2013 at about 16:07 local time, a Boeing 737-7H4 registered N913WN, operated by Southwest Airlines Co, was involved in an incident near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. 59 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 May 2013 at 16:07

Classification

Incident

Location

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Phoenix Sky Harbor Int'l (PHX)

Coordinates

33.4339, -112.0069

Aircraft

Boeing 737-7H4

Registration

N913WN

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

2

Operator

Southwest Airlines Co

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Reno/Tahoe Intl

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13IA226

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the tug operator and wing walker to adequately monitor the environment during pushback of the airplane from the gate in preparation for flight, which led to the collision of the airplane with an adjacently parked airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While being pushed back from the gate by a tug in preparation for flight, the airplane collided with an airplane parked to its right. The pushback into an adjacent alleyway required the tug operator to accomplish a turn reversal to properly align the airplane. Further, the tug operator and wing walker slowed down the tug's speed during the turn to ensure that they avoided baggage carts located near the right engine. The turn was performed too tightly, and, when the tug operator's and wing walker's attention was focused on clearing the nearby carts, the airplane's right winglet struck the parked, unoccupied airplane's left horizontal stabilizer and elevator.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.