cavanami Posted February 8, 2020 Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 Plane crushes tow truck when being dragged to gate at Thai airport, killing one An airport worker was killed this morning (Feb 7) and another was injured after a plane crushed a tow truck while it was being pulled to the gate. The Boeing 737 was being moved into position to collect passengers at the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, at around 8am local time when the accident happened. A connecting bar between the Nok Airplane and the tow truck snapped. The aircraft then continued rolling forward with the momentum before crushing the white vehicle under its body next to the wing. Engineer and groundworker Thanisorn Oncha-am was rushed to hospital but it was later confirmed that he had died from ''severe injuries sustained in the crash''. A second mechanic who was in the tow tractor was injured in the collision. CCTV footage of the incident appears to show that the towing tractor was unable to move after the bar snapped. It was then trapped under the huge plane, which has 189 passenger seats and distinctive orange and yellow bird livery. Airport director Samphan Khutharanon said: ''The Nok Air flight DD6458 from Don Mueang to Nakhon Si Thammarat collided with a Nok Air tow truck. ''The accident happened while the truck was dragging the plane to the gate to wait for passengers to travel. ''The towing device that connects the vehicle to the plane broke, causing it to stop while the plane continued moving forwards.'' ... https://www.yahoo.com/news/plane-crushes-tow-truck-being-080000241.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passingthru69 Posted February 8, 2020 Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 Very sad situation. I have hauled the Tug units before to various airports in the US. I do know that there are different size tow bars for the planes Also they are to be inspected prior to each use. I wonder if they grabbed the wrong one or if there was a weld failure at one of the ends. Where the attachment hook is connected to the tube/ bar. I have been told, if the tow bar even has the slightest bend they have to be scrapped out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted February 8, 2020 Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 I don't know anything about these tow bars, but I wonder, how they would get a bend in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passingthru69 Posted February 9, 2020 Report Share Posted February 9, 2020 Coss, over time the pulling and jerking can cause metal fatigue. Plus using the wrong tow bar on too big of plane, etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted February 9, 2020 Report Share Posted February 9, 2020 Ahh I see - thanks, I was ready to think that the Thai ground crew were feckless, but I see the actuality is more mundane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passingthru69 Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 Quite normal. I have seen bent ones in different airlines shops. Only 2 with cracked welds. Never seen a severe weld failure one though, but it has been several years since I have moved any. The rate for hauling them has gotten to cheap for the headaches lding and unloading them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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