Incident Overview
During a night taxi operation, the leading edge of the left wingtip of a Boeing 747 impacted the trailing edge of the right wingtip of a Boeing 757 that was in tow but stopped. The collision occurred near the intersection of diverging taxiways. The crew of the Boeing 747 was not aware that the Boeing 757 was in tow.
Crew Statements
The captain of the Boeing 747 reported that the accident happened in an area where the towed Boeing 757 was backlit by apron lights. Additionally, the crew's attention was diverted to another Boeing 757 ahead that they had been instructed to follow.
Sequence of Events
The Boeing 757 that was in tow had been taxiing ahead of the Boeing 747 before reaching the diverging taxiways. This aircraft had received its taxi instructions before the Boeing 747 crew was on the frequency.
Airport Diagram Issue
Some taxiways were mislabeled on a Federal Aviation Administration airport diagram. However, investigators determined that the mislabeling did not affect the outcome of the accident.
Damage
The leading edge left wingtip of the Boeing 747 and the trailing edge right wingtip of the Boeing 757 sustained damage as a result of the impact.