Boeing 737-824 N73270
8 August 2005 · Newark, New Jersey, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 8 August 2005 at about 16:30 local time, a Boeing 737-824 registered N73270, operated by Continental Airlines Inc, was involved in an accident near Newark, New Jersey, United States. 205 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Newark, New Jersey, United States
- Nearest airport
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- Coordinates
- 40.7000, -74.1722
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-824
- Registration
- N73270
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Continental Airlines Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Newark → Phoenix
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- IAD05LA118
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 205 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 205 |
Probable cause
The airport's failure to install markings on a parking "block" that bordered the taxiway, which failed to provide adequate clearance between taxiing airplanes and airplanes parked in the block. Factors in the accident were air traffic control's use of the unmarked parking "block," and the flight crew's misjudgement of the clearance between their airplane and the parked airplanes in the block, during taxi.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Six Embraer 145 airplanes were parked side-by-side in an unmarked, paved "run-up block" area between two parallel taxiways at a large, international airport, as they waited for further instruction from air traffic control (ATC). A Boeing 737-824 was instructed by ATC to continue on the taxiway, behind the line of airplanes, and park between the fifth and sixth airplane in the row. With the nose wheel centered on the taxi line, the right winglet of the Boeing struck the tails of the first two airplanes parked in the "run-up block," which resulted in substantial damage to one parked airplane. According to Advisory Circular 150/5300-13, Taxiway and Taxilane Design Rationale, "The need for ample wingtip clearance is driven by the fact that the pilots of most modern jets cannot see their airplane's wingtips." Taxiway Centerline to Object Separation states: "...a minimum separation between taxiway centerline and an object is 0.70 times the wingspan of the most demanding airplane plus 10 feet (3m)." According to the Airman's Information Manual, 2-3-4b. Taxiway Markings, Taxiway Centerline: "The taxiway centerline...provides a visual cue to permit taxiing along a designated path. Ideally the aircraft should be kept centered over this line during taxi to ensure wing-tip clearance." According to the FAA inspector who responded to the scene, the nose wheel of the Boeing was centered over the taxiway centerline.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-824 | N73270 | Continental Airlines Inc | Substantial |
| Embraer EMB-145LR | N10575 | Continental Express Inc | Substantial |
Other Boeing 737 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 2005 | Boeing 737-832 | Atlantic Ocean, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 2005 | Boeing 737-200 | Lagos, Nigeria | Bellview Airlines | Fatal | 117 |
| 30 Oct 2005 | Boeing 737-900 | Calgary, Canada | Alaska Airlines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 9 Nov 2005 | Boeing 737-7Q8 | Melbourne, Australia | Virgin Blue Pty Ltd | Unknown | - |
| 29 Apr 2005 | Boeing 737-700 | Little Rock, Arkansas, United States | Southwest Airlines Company | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 2005 | Boeing 737-282 | Denver, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,317 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Sep 2005 | Sikorsky S-76B | Linden, New Jersey, United States | ExcelAire Service Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 2005 | Meyer ATLANTIS | Pittstown, New Jersey, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 May 2005 | Swearingen SA-226T | Teterboro, New Jersey, United States | Dominick Alfieri | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 2005 | Cirrus SR20 | Farmingdale, New Jersey, United States | Cerified Flyers II | No injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 2005 | Air Creation CLIPPER 912 | Woodbine, New Jersey, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Jul 2005 | Grumman American AA-5 | Branchville, New Jersey, United States | Peter John Horvat | Serious injuries | - |