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October 2, 2017 · Boeing 737 7H4 7H4 · N930WN

Chicago, IL

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
October 2, 2017
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (84 uninjured)
Location
Chicago, IL
Aircraft
Boeing 737 7H4 7H4 (2009)
Tail Number
N930WN
Operator
Southwest Airlines
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
DCA18CA001

On October 2, 2017, at about 0840 CDT, Southwest Airlines flight 681, Boeing B737-700, N930WN, was struck by an unmanned tug while boarding was ongoing at Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW), Chicago, Illinois. There were no injuries to the 84 passengers and crew onboard. The airplane received substantial damage to the lower fuselage skin, frames and stringers over an area about 3 feet by 3 feet. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 121 as a scheduled passenger flight from KMDW to Omaha Airport (KOMA), Omaha, Nebraska. A ramp agent was driving a covered baggage tug with two baggage carts in tow between Gates B22 and B24 when the tug made contact with two staged baggage carts. The ramp agent jumped off the tug as the tug continued to accelerate forward. The now unmanned baggage tug struck additional ground support equipment before striking the fuselage of the accident airplane at Gate B22. The ramp agent stated afterwards that he could not get the tug to stop and thought running the tug into the staged baggage carts would stop or at least slow the tug down. Examination of the baggage tug after the event revealed there was a mechanical failure of the fuel governor which resulted in the runaway. The runaway could have been stopped by either turning the ignition key off or using the manual shut down lever on the front cover. There was no guidance in the Ground Operations Training Manual related to how ramp personnel should handle mechanical failures of ground support equipment.

NTSB Probable Cause

the mechanical failure of the tugs fuel governor, which made it difficult for the ramp agent to stop the tug. Contributing to the accident was the lack of guidance on how ground personnel were to handle vehicle malfunctions.

Full Narrative

On October 2, 2017, at about 0840 CDT, Southwest Airlines flight 681, Boeing B737-700, N930WN, was struck by an unmanned tug while boarding was ongoing at Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW), Chicago, Illinois. There were no injuries to the 84 passengers and crew onboard. The airplane received substantial damage to the lower fuselage skin, frames and stringers over an area about 3 feet by 3 feet. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 121 as a scheduled passenger flight from KMDW to Omaha Airport (KOMA), Omaha, Nebraska. A ramp agent was driving a covered baggage tug with two baggage carts in tow between Gates B22 and B24 when the tug made contact with two staged baggage carts. The ramp agent jumped off the tug as the tug continued to accelerate forward. The now unmanned baggage tug struck additional ground support equipment before striking the fuselage of the accident airplane at Gate B22. The ramp agent stated afterwards that he could not get the tug to stop and thought running the tug into the staged baggage carts would stop or at least slow the tug down. Examination of the baggage tug after the event revealed there was a mechanical failure of the fuel governor which resulted in the runaway. The runaway could have been stopped by either turning the ignition key off or using the manual shut down lever on the front cover. There was no guidance in the Ground Operations Training Manual related to how ramp personnel should handle mechanical failures of ground support equipment.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time08:40 CDT
Nearest AirportChicago Midway International A (1nm)
Flight Plan FiledIFR
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBoeing 737 7H4 7H4
Tail NumberN930WN
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorSouthwest Airlines
Operating RulePart 121
Engines2
Engine TypeTurbofan
Engine DetailsCfm International · CFM56-7B24 · Turbofan | Cfm International · CFM56-7B24 · Turbofan
Seats151

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (84 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured84
Total84

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind190° @ 9 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingBroken clouds 7000 ft
Temperature / Dew Point68 F / 52
Altimeter30.19 inHg
Observation Time13:53

Appendix: Source Data