Incident Overview
On July 17, 2023, at 01:15 local time, a ground accident occurred during pushback and engine start at Ben Gurion International Airport's N apron. A Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft (registration OE-LRG), operated by Challenge Airlines (BE), received pushback and engine start clearance from the control tower. The pushback was performed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) ground personnel using a conventional towbar tug.
Sequence of Events
During the pushback from stand 21 to starting point 71, the wireless voice connection between the ground crew and the flight crew was lost without the pilots' awareness. To correct the aircraft's position, the tug driver moved from his open driving position to a closed cabin on the opposite side of the tug, intending to continue towing the aircraft. During this transition, the driver noticed the aircraft pushing the tug. Attempts to stop the tug by applying brakes from the closed cabin were unsuccessful.
Due to the loss of communication, the head of the pushback team used a white light flashlight to signal the pilots to stop. The pilots, not recognizing the flashing light as a standard hand signal, did not stop the aircraft to avoid striking the tug beneath it, which they could not see.
Collision and Damage
The tug was pushed by the aircraft in a rotary motion, causing the towbar shear pins to break. The tug then struck the aircraft's undercarriage underneath the fuselage before coming to a stop. During the circular movement, the left wingtip of the 747-400 hit the tail of a parked FedEx Boeing 757-200 cargo aircraft (registration N918FD).
No injuries were reported. The 747-400 sustained damage to its landing gear, landing gear doors, belly, tires, and left wingtip. The parked 757-200 suffered rudder damage, and the tug was damaged beyond repair and removed from service.
Investigation and Corrective Actions
The Director of the Aircraft Safety Investigation Authority (AIAI) opened an investigation under ICAO Annex 13. As of the interim statement, examination of operational and technical elements was completed, with ongoing focus on regulatory and procedural aspects of engine starts during pushback/tow.
Stakeholders, including IAI, Israel Airport Authority, Challenge Airlines, and the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, took corrective actions: a NOTAM permanently prohibits engine starts of several wide-body cargo aircraft types during towbar pushback at Ben Gurion; IAI terminated all non-maintenance pushback/tow activities at the airport; and numerous operators temporarily banned wireless headset systems during ground operations.