San Diego International Airport, San Diego, CA

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Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Tuesday, December 26, 2006 in San Diego, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/30/2008
Aircraft: Boeing 737-7H4, registration: N207WN
Injuries: 208 Uninjured.
Flight 1092 was parked at gate 5. The crew received pushback clearance, and was advised of a company airplane taxiing from gate 1. Ground personnel pushed flight 1092 back, and the captain set the airplane's brakes. The crew of flight 1011 received clearance to taxi from gate 1 to runway 27, and was advised to use caution because of a company airplane pushing back from gate 5. The crew of the taxiing airplane performed taxi checklist items, and discussed using caution regarding the stopped airplane that had been pushed back from gate 5. The first officer (FO) of the taxiing airplane pointed out that there was an open area on his side of the airplane in case the captain needed to deviate to the right for clearance. Flight data recorder information indicated that the taxiing airplane turned to the right (away from the stationary airplane) about 26.5 degrees while moving at a maximum ground speed of 11 knots. It then turned about 2.5 degrees back to the
left (towards the stationary airplane) while the brakes were applied, and it stopped. About 8 seconds after coming to a stop, it began moving forward. It collided with the other airplane about 2 seconds later at a recorded groundspeed of 3 knots. The crew of the taxiing airplane was not sure what they hit. The left winglet from the taxiing airplane struck the right horizontal stabilizer of the stopped airplane. The top half of the winglet sheared off, and imbedded itself in the horizontal stabilizer just outboard of the elevator.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

Failure of the captain, during taxi, to maintain adequate clearance from an occupied airplane stopped on the ramp.

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Accident occurred Monday, June 27, 2005 in San Diego, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/26/2007
Aircraft: Boeing 727-230, registration: N357KP
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.
The airplane surged forward and impacted a tug when the number 2 engine went to full power during engine start. According to the flight crew's written statements, the captain had written up the number 2 thrust reverser following the previous flight because it required extra effort and movement to reach normal reverse thrust. Maintenance personnel adjusted the rigging and released the aircraft for service. The flight crew informed maintenance that they would verify the rigging after engine start. The airplane was pushed back and the flight crew started the number 1 and 2 engines with no anomalies noted. They were in the process of starting the number 3 engine, when they heard a loud roar of an engine and felt the airplane lunge forward. The flight engineer announced the number 2 throttle was open and pulled the throttle lever to idle. The captain applied brake pressure and called for engine shutdown. According to the captain, he did not notice the number
2 throttle move forward because he was looking at the ground crew for a brake signal. The copilot did not observe the number 2 throttle move forward because he was concentrating on starting the number 3 engine and examining the oil pressure gauges for the number 1 and 2 engines. The flight engineer indicated that he had not noticed the number 2 throttle movement because he was looking at his panel to confirm that the number 2 start valve had closed and the number 3 start valve had opened. He then monitored the oil pressure when he heard the engine spooling up to high power followed by the movement of the airplane. A cockpit voice recorder was installed on the accident airplane, but review of the recording revealed that the engine start and accident had been recorded over. Mechanics examined the engine and throttle control rigging after the accident under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector . According to the
mechanics and the airworthiness inspector, no anomalies were noted with the throttle's rigging. Subsequent engine runs were unsuccessful in duplicating the engine surge. The airplane was not equipped with an autothrottle system.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

the inadvertent throttle movement by one of the flight crew and the captain's inadequate supervision during the engine start sequence.

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Accident occurred Monday, September 16, 2002 in San Diego, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/8/2005
Aircraft: Cessna 182A, registration: N3951D
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
During the landing rollout the accident airplane passed behind a MD-11, which was beginning to move forward, and nosed over onto its back. The accident pilot had diverted from his intended destination due to weather. When he arrived at the accident airport, the local controller advised him that he was number 2 for landing behind a MD-11. The local controller instructed him to do two 360-degree turns on downwind for spacing and to land beyond the touchdown point of the MD-11. On final approach , the local controller asked the accident pilot if he had observed where the MD-11 had touched down, which was at the 1,000-foot marker. The pilot indicated that he had, and would plan, his touchdown point beyond that. After the MD-11 landed, it exited the runway at taxiway B-5 and was holding perpendicular to the runway awaiting ground control clearance, with the tail end of the airplane facing the runway. Tower personnel indicated that the accident airplane touched
down at taxiway B-3, about 2,000 feet down the runway, and beyond the MD-11's touchdown point. The MD-11 had started to move very slowly off the taxiway prior to the accident airplane passing behind it. On the landing rollout the tail of the accident airplane started to oscillate up and down after passing behind the tail end of the MD-11. The oscillations continued to increase, and on the third oscillation it nosed over and came to rest inverted. Tower personnel reported that the MD-11 was off the runway prior to the accident airplane being cleared to land, and there was no part of the airplane protruding over the runway during the landing rollout of the accident airplane. The accident airplane touched down near taxiway B3, about the 2,000-foot marker, and continued a long rollout towards taxiway B5 where the MD-11 had exited. The measured distance between taxiway B3 and taxiway B5 is 2,054 feet. In the performance section of the Federal Aviation
Administration approved flight manual, at standard sea level pressure and temperature, and 2,100 pounds gross weight, the airplane's landing ground rollout distance over a 50-foot obstacle should have been 445 feet. At a gross weight of 2,650 pounds, the landing ground rollout should have been 560 feet.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance to avoid jet exhaust due to his improperly planned approach and inadequate in-flight decision to perform a long landing rollout, which placed the airplane in proximity to an area of observed high velocity jet exhaust.

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Accident occurred Friday, June 15, 2001 in San Diego, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/28/2004
Aircraft: Airbus Industrie A320-232, registration: N661AW
Injuries: 1 Serious, 141 Uninjured.
A flight attendant sustained serious injuries when the flight crew placed the transport category airplane in a sudden rapid descent for landing. According to the operator, air traffic control delayed the flight's descent due to traffic, then cleared the flight to resume the profile descent. The flight attendant fell over while she was picking up trash in preparation for landing and hit her head and back on something, rendering her unconscious. The flight crew originally reported encountering turbulence, but later informed the operator and flight attendant that there was no turbulence.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

the flight crew's excessive descent rate, which resulted in an injury to a flight attendant.

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Accident occurred Saturday, May 12, 2001 in San Diego, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/30/2004
Aircraft: Bell 206B, registration: N2102Z
Injuries: 13 Uninjured.
The main rotor blade from a helicopter collided with the right wingtip of a twin-engine transport airplane while it was being marshaled into a ramp area for parking. The helicopter was parked with its rotor blades aligned with its longitudinal axis, and was being loaded with passengers while the airplane was being marshaled onto the ramp area. Four ramp personnel were utilized at the time of the accident; three for the airplane, and one for the helicopter. The ramp person assisting the helicopter stated he escorted the passengers to the helicopter and the pilot loaded the helicopter and closed the door. The other three ramp personnel were positioned around the airplane, one at the nose and one on each wing. As the airplane's cockpit passed abeam the helicopter, the captain noticed the main rotor blades start to rotate. The airplane's first officer was concerned with the distance between the airplane's right wing and the helicopter, but received a "thumbs
up" signal from the right wing walker.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

the failure of the ground personnel to maintain clearance between two aircraft on the ramp, while one airplane was taxiing and the other was standing with the engine running and rotor blades turning.


Ron Porter


San Diego International Airport Approach / Landing:

IFR flight to San Diego International Airport from Eric Keijzer on Vimeo.