Incident Summary
An airplane sustained damage to its tail section after a piece of aluminum diamond plate material, which had been left on a taxiway, became airborne and struck the aircraft. The incident occurred while the airplane was taxiing for takeoff. The plate was part of ongoing taxiway maintenance activities.
Maintenance Details
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aluminum diamond plate had been placed on the taxiway by workers employed by a company performing maintenance. The plate was used to cover an area of the taxiway undergoing repair. The FAA representative noted that the plate was made of aluminum rather than the intended thicker and heavier steel, which would have been less susceptible to displacement by jet blast from taxiing aircraft.
Oversight and Guidance
The FAA and the airport authority had provided guidance to the construction company regarding the use of such plates for covering maintenance areas. Despite this guidance, the aluminum plate was left in place, eventually being dislodged by the jet blast of the taxiing airplane, leading to the collision with the tail.
Investigation Findings
Examination by the FAA confirmed that the plate was aluminum diamond plate, not steel, and that it had been left unattended on the taxiway. The investigation did not specify any additional factors or attribute the incident to pilot or controller actions. The damage to the airplane was limited to the tail section.