What happened
On 16 April 2003, a BAe ATP aircraft, registration G-MANE, was involved in a ground incident at Dublin Airport's Stand 10. Following a standard pushback procedure, the flight crew requested that the aircraft be towed forward to clear the path for another aircraft departing from a neighboring stand. During this forward movement, the upper corner of the tug's cabin made contact with the aircraft's radome, causing damage to the component. There were no injuries to the four crew members or the 28 passengers on board.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events and the equipment used during the maneuver. The ground mechanic reported that the flight crew requested the forward tow without the installation of necessary safety pins, and noted that ground personnel felt apprehensive about performing the maneuver while the engines were running due to safety concerns.
Technical analysis focused on the dimensions of the towing equipment. While the aircraft operator provided the towbar, it was found that the specific part number in use differed from the custom-built towbar recommended by the manufacturer, TRONIT. Measurements revealed that the distance between the tug and the aircraft nose was insufficient to prevent contact when the tug was positioned at certain angles. Specifically, the investigation found that the tug's cabin height and the length of the towbar in use created a risk of collision if the tug was angled at approximately 60 degrees to the aircraft's centerline.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was insufficient clearance between the tug and the aircraft to account for all possible relative positions during the towing operation.
- The towbar being utilized did not match the specific dimensions of the manufacturer-recommended equipment, which would have provided greater separation.
- The use of a large tug increased the likelihood of the cabin roof contacting the aircraft's radome during maneuvers.