Empty Plane Rolls Through Fence at L.A. Airport

Wed Apr 10, 2:07 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An empty American Airlines jet parked outside a hanger at Los Angeles International Airport rolled through a fence, knocking down overhead power lines on Wednesday, an airline spokesman said.


John Hotard, an American Airlines spokesman, said the Boeing 767, parked outside a maintenance hanger at the airport, rolled through the fence and power lines before coming to a stop on a service road.

No one was on the plane and no one on the ground was hurt, Hotard said, and no information was immediately available on damage to the plane. The airline was investigating.

I wonder if this model did not have a parking break....or if AA is cutting back such, that "blocks" or no longer used. Perhaps they could borrow a couple of bricks....

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Originally posted by Cecil02_99:
[qb]I wonder if this model did not have a parking break....or if AA is cutting back such, that "blocks" or no longer used. Perhaps they could borrow a couple of bricks....[/qb]

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I was thinking about this. When companies are under financial stress, they cut people, often naively assuming that procedures will still be followed. The best corporate environment for process improvement is stability and steady growth. Both fast growth and decline bring chaos. Dramatic change always comes with unintended consequences. If it weren't so frightening, it would be funny.

Mark, Cecil,

I thought that it was a standard procedure to put chocks in front and behind the main wheels, as disk brakes are not known for efficiency as parking brakes to keep any vehicle from going on a walkabout.

hank@ster

Hank... Yep, far as I know. Certainly a good idea to look at the check list prior to leaving the cockpit, and I guess AA still has ground personnel serviceing their equipment. Thats why I said, if they don't have enough chocks to go around, a couple of bricks would work.

>a couple of bricks would work<

Cecil,
that could be a problem. Leaving the neck open
Even when the ground personal 'forgot' to block the wheels, whoever had taxied the plane into the parking position should have noticed, that there was something odd and missing when leaving the plane. One of the chains of human errors that had the plane on the fast lane?

hank@ster

Hank... In all likelyhood, the airplane was towed to the position it was in. It then becomes the responsibility of ground personnel to secure the airplane. Too bad that AA management apparently has not read the DL safety report Barbara just posted. Maybe Barbara should E mail it to them.

>Maybe Barbara should E mail it to them.<

Good idea Cecil but I guess they probably already subscribe to Air Safety Week and all it's associated publications. It seems to be mainly industry people who read it. I noticed that there was a copy also at the NTSB when I visited there in the fall of '99. Of course maybe they haven't read it yet!

Barbara

quote:

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Originally posted by Cecil02_99:
[qb]Hank... In all likelyhood, the airplane was towed to the position it was in. It then becomes the responsibility of ground personnel to secure the airplane. Too bad that AA management apparently has not read the DL safety report Barbara just posted. Maybe Barbara should E mail it to them.[/qb]

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Cecil,
If they towed it, then it is even less understandable. It is something basic as opening the mouth when a loaded fork is heading that direction and area.
Maybe AA hired the former Argenbright screeners as ground personnel?

hank@ster