What happened
During a ground tow operation, an aircraft struck a deicing truck as it was being moved toward the gate. At the time of the incident, visibility was 1.5 statute miles with light snow and mist present. The deicing truck had repositioned itself forward and to the left of the wing to wait for another aircraft. During the maneuver, the left wing walker temporarily left his post at the request of the tug driver to scrape snow from a line using his boot. This resulted in the aircraft impacting the deice truck, dragging it approximately 15 feet. The impact caused the truck to tilt onto two wheels at a 45-degree angle before the tow was stopped.
Findings
There were no injuries resulting from the collision, and the aircraft sustained minor damage. An examination of the operator's procedures revealed that the tow tug operator is required to ascertain the precise route and position for the aircraft, and must only continue towing when visual contact with all necessary guidemen is possible. The loss of the wing walker's position contributed to the collision.