What happened
Shortly after landing, the ground controller at the air traffic control tower instructed the pilot to follow a DC-10 toward the south cargo ramp area. The pilot followed the DC-10 along the taxiway located on the eastern side of the ramp. When the DC-10 came to a stop, the pilot assumed the crew was waiting for parking assistance and attempted to maneuver the aircraft in a right turn toward the middle of the ramp to bypass the larger aircraft.
During this right turn, the aircraft's right main gear collided with a short, square steel cargo container dolly. At the time of the collision, the pilot had maneuverable approximately 170 feet west of the eastern taxiway in an effort to avoid the FedEx airplane.
Findings
- The pilot stated that the eastern taxiway does not provide convenient access to the loading or unloading area used by his company.
- The pilot indicated that he would have attempted a right turn toward a more direct course to his designated loading area regardless of the DC-10's position.