Incident Details
A Boeing 727 was being pushed back from an airport gate by a single tug operator. The tug operator waited for an Airbus aircraft to approach a neighboring gate before initiating the pushback procedure. A catering truck was positioned behind the left wing of the 727, with its driver waiting for the Airbus to shut down its engines.
Sequence of Events
According to the catering truck driver, his partner shouted, "He's moving or something," prompting an immediate attempt to accelerate. However, the truck was struck on the side and began to tip over. Ramp personnel in the area observed the airplane moving toward the parked catering truck and tried to alert the tug operator.
The left wing of the Boeing 727 made contact with the aft section of the catering truck. The distance from the airplane's left wingtip when parked at the gate to the north edge of the service road where the catering truck was stopped was approximately 75 feet.
Damage Assessment
The collision resulted in damage to the airplane's left aileron and left wing tip.