BURLINGTON, VT, USA
N780AL
BOEING 727
IN PREPARATION FOR POWERING AWAY FROM THE GATE, ONE GROUNDMAN WAS STATIONED OFF THE LEFT NOSE OF THE ACFT AND ANOTHER WAS POSITIONED BY THE LEFT WING TIP. THE PLT ADVANCED THE THROTTLES AND INITIATED A RIGHT TURN. THE THROTTLES WERE BROUGHT BACK TO IDLE SHORTLY AFTER THE ACFT STARTED ROLLING TO PREVENT JET BLAST DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO THE CPT OF FLT 37, THE SECOND TIME HE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW HE SAW A GROUNDMAN GIVING HIM A SIGNAL TO SLOW DOWN, HOWEVER, IT WAS TOO LATE TO AVOID HITTING THE JETWAY WITH THE LEFT WING TIP. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE JETWAY HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY POSITIONED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE BOEING 727 TO CLEAR IT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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