EMBRAER-EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE ERJ 170 200 LR

Minneapolis, MN — October 23, 2014

Event Information

DateOctober 23, 2014
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberDCA15CA012
Event ID20141023X80357
LocationMinneapolis, MN
CountryUSA
Coordinates44.88055, -93.21361
AirportMinneapolis St Paul
Highest InjuryNONE

Aircraft

MakeEMBRAER-EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE
ModelERJ 170 200 LR
CategoryAIR
FAR Part121
Aircraft DamageSUBS

Conditions

Light ConditionNITE
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
None272
Total Injured0

Event Location

Probable Cause

the B757 Captain's failure to maintain a safe clearance between his wing and the wingtip of the ERJ-170. Contributing to the accident was the positioning of the ERJ-170 by the Compass ground personnel.

Full Narrative

The ERJ-170 had been pushed back from gate G4 and positioned facing northwest on taxiway B with its parking brake set. The B757 was taxiing along taxiway A and the captain reported that he observed the ERJ-170 and ground personnel, however, it was difficult to judge the distance so he offset his taxi to the left to "be on the safe side". He reported the presence of the wing walker gave him "a false sense of security." The wing walker reported he signaled with his lighted wands for the B757 to stop but it was too late and the airplanes collided. The left wing spar of the ERJ-170 was fractured, resulting in substantial damage, and the B757 experienced minor damage to its right wing leading edge slat. In the vicinity of the collision, taxiway B has a distinct bend which brings it closer to taxiway A. Weather at the time of the event was reported as night visual conditions.
The ERJ-170 had been pushed back from gate G4 and positioned facing northwest on taxiway B with its parking brake set. The B757 was taxiing along taxiway A and the captain reported that he observed the ERJ-170 and ground personnel, however, it was difficult to judge the distance so he offset his taxi to the left to "be on the safe side". He reported the presence of the wing walker gave him "a false sense of security." The wing walker reported he signaled with his lighted wands for the B757 to stop but it was too late and the airplanes collided. The left wing spar of the ERJ-170 was fractured, resulting in substantial damage, and the B757 experienced minor damage to its right wing leading edge slat. In the vicinity of the collision, taxiway B has a distinct bend which brings it closer to taxiway A. Weather at the time of the event was reported as night visual conditions.

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

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