What happened
At the conclusion of a scheduled domestic passenger flight, the captain was taxiing the aircraft toward the gate area. A single ground guide was utilizing hand signals to marshal the aircraft into its assigned parking spot. During this positioning maneuver, the underside of the left wing struck the top of a parked fleet service van.
There were no other aircraft parked in the immediate vicinity at the time of the incident, and no wing-walkers were utilized during the taxiing process.
The investigation
An inspection of the left wing following the collision revealed significant structural damage. The findings included an upward displacement of the outboard flap hinge assembly. To restore the aircraft to service, the operator determined that the outboard rib, the outboard flap hanger assembly, and the wrinkled upper wing skin near the wingtip required replacement.
Findings
- The collision occurred while the aircraft was being positioned by a single ground guide.
- Wing-walkers were not utilized during the maneuver.
- The operator's director of safety reported that a wing-walker was neither available nor used, which was a violation of company policy regarding aircraft operations near obstacles.