What happened
During routine ground operations, a lavatory service truck made contact with the fuselage of an aircraft that was parked and secured on the tarmac. The collision occurred while the truck driver was attempting to back the vehicle into the correct position for servicing. According to the operator's account, her foot slipped off the brake pedal and inadvertently pressed the accelerator, causing the vehicle to move forward into the stationary plane. Notably, no ground marshals were employed to guide the truck during this specific servicing operation.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the sequence of events leading up to the impact. The primary focus was on the mechanical operation of the service vehicle and the actions of the driver. The investigation confirmed that the vehicle's braking system was functional but relied entirely on the operator's physical control at the moment of the incident.
Findings
The analysis identified several contributing factors to the damage. The direct cause was the lavatory service truck impacting the fuselage. The driver admitted to losing control of the brake pedal, which resulted in unintended acceleration. Furthermore, the absence of marshals during the servicing process removed a critical layer of safety oversight that might have prevented the collision.
Safety message
The incident highlights the importance of using ground marshals when maneuvering service vehicles near parked aircraft, even during routine servicing tasks like lavatory emptying.