What happened
During the early evening, in the hours of darkness, a cargo freighter was taxiing to its loading area after landing. While operating on the airport ground control frequency, the captain of the freighter observed a parked airline passenger airplane positioned inside the double yellow lines. The captain believed the parked aircraft was clear of the freighter's path; however, a collision occurred between the two aircraft.
The passenger airplane had been holding short of its gate due to congestion within the gate area. At the time of the impact, the airliner had one engine running and was monitoring its company ramp control frequency. Following the collision, passengers from the airline aircraft were deplaned via an airstair onto the ramp and subsequently transported to the terminal.
Findings
At the time of the accident, the area of the ramp involved was designated as a non-movement area under a current letter of agreement between the tower and the airport. This area, including its line markings, is not under the control of the tower. Investigations revealed that neither airline had issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) to their respective pilots regarding the specific conditions or status of this area.