Investigation Summary
American Airlines Flight 699 was preparing for departure from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Airbus A300 was being pushed back from the gate by a ramp crew. Witnesses observed the ramp guide, who was maintaining communication with the flight deck via a wired microphone, walking behind the nose gear at least once during the maneuver. As he attempted to walk behind the moving nose gear again, he stumbled. The nose gear tires rolled over his upper body, inflicting crushing thoracic injuries. Despite the guide being fully qualified and having received safety training, the NTSB determined he failed to follow normal safety procedures.
Final Conclusions
The NTSB concluded that the accident was caused by the ramp guide's failure to follow normal safety procedures. His overconfidence in his personal ability was cited as a contributing factor. The investigation noted that the guide was qualified and had received the necessary safety training prior to the accident. The aircraft sustained no damage, and no injuries were reported among the 244 occupants on board.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Age 57
Systems & Failure Modes
Nose Landing Gear
A retractable tricycle gear system. In this event, the dual tires of the nose gear rolled over the ground crew member during pushback.
Ground-to-Cockpit Communication
A wired microphone system allowing the ramp guide to communicate directly with the flight crew during ground maneuvers.
Interesting Facts
- 01The ramp guide was using a ground-to-cockpit microphone at the time of the accident.
- 02The aircraft was an Airbus A300B4-605R (MSN 474) powered by two GE CF6 engines.
- 03Weather conditions were clear with 15 miles visibility and scattered clouds at 3,000 feet.
- 04The ramp guide had received safety training and was qualified for his duties.
- 05The accident occurred during daylight hours on a dry concrete surface.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Ground Crew Positioning Procedures
Source ↗The investigation emphasized the necessity for ground crew members to adhere strictly to established safety zones during pushback operations, specifically avoiding the path of moving landing gear regardless of communication cord length.