Ouch!!

[2LT]

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1171294

Anybody know the story behind that one?

 

[av8orboy]

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1171294

Anybody know the story behind that one?

Yeah...I heard that somebody f$#*ed up.

 

[Occam's Razor]

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1171294

Anybody know the story behind that one?

Yes.

NWA is in bankrupcty and couldn't afford a treadmill for an important physics question...so they used a tug traveling in the opposite direction at exactly the same speed.

 

[elag777]

looks like the "supertug" slipped out of the connection on push back and went under the 9, those things are very fast and powerful. no towbar just a ramp and jack.

 

[Big Duke Six]

I did not see it happen, but was there within seconds of when it happened. From what I understand the -9 was under tow with its' nosegear in the cradle on the tug. They rounded a corner doing a fair clip (according to the witnesses I spoke with) and the momentum of the aircraft started to force the tug into an oversteering skid (looks like it was to the tug's right). The tug driver bailed in time so he survived but no one knew the extent of his injuries at that time. (He was taken away in an ambulance.)

So, there were no pax on board but it all happened in full view of at least everyone on the E concourse in MSP.

Could have been a lot worse!! But its a real bummer for NWA.

 

[SkiFishFly]

Physics, momentum, mass - that damn Newton guy sure is a pain in the arse...

 

[Fltlvls]

I have seen some of those supertugs going superfast sometimes with airplanes attached...maybe that DC- 9 became airborne

 

[WalterSobchak]

Somewhere, a 12 year old is scrambling to say something witty about Northwest DC-9's on Airliners.net.

 

[The_Russian]

I got one:

"They have a million of them so its no loss."