What happened
On January 24, 2012, an ATR 72-201, registration HB-AFR, operated by Farnair Switzerland AG, arrived at Timișoara International Airport on a cargo flight from Sofia. After landing on runway 11, the aircraft taxied via taxiways C and L toward the airport apron.
Upon entering the apron, control of the aircraft was transferred from the Tower to Ground Control. While taxiing toward its assigned parking position, the right wingtip of the aircraft struck a lighting pole located on the northern edge of the apron, knocking it down. The aircraft then immediately struck a second pole, which was deformed by the impact. The crew brought the aircraft to a halt following the collisions.
There were no injuries to the two crew members, but the aircraft sustained significant damage, including structural damage to the right wingtip, deformation of the right aileron, and damage to the leading edge and ribs. The collision also caused damage to the airport infrastructure, specifically the destruction of one lighting pole and the bending of another.
The investigation
The investigation examined the environmental conditions, aircraft maintenance, and ground operations at Timișoara Airport. Investigators noted that the incident occurred at night under humid conditions, with a wet runway surface.
At the time of the event, the Tower was unable to communicate the specific parking stand to the crew because the information had not yet been provided by the airport dispatcher. While the crew could see the ground controller using signal wands from a distance of over 370 meters, they were unable to clearly distinguish the painted taxiway markings or the edge lights of the apron due to the darkness and the presence of light from the lighting poles themselves.
Findings
- The crew failed to correctly identify the taxiways on the airport apron.
- The aircraft crew was not familiar with the layout of Timișoara Airport.
- The lighting poles were positioned on the edge of the paved apron surface, creating a potential obstacle.
- The presence of platform lighting and edge lights in the same area hindered the visual recognition of taxiway markings and obstacles.
- At night or in low visibility, the painted taxiway markings on the apron were difficult to discern because they lacked supplemental lighted guidance.
Safety action
The investigation recommended that the airport operator implement measures to ensure the safe and efficient identification of taxiways and apron edges. Suggested actions included:
- Ensuring parking stands are allocated in advance so the Tower can provide instructions to crews.
- Limiting the distance between Ground Control and the aircraft during the handover of control to a maximum of 300 meters.
- Utilizing "Follow-me" vehicles for aircraft entering the apron from taxiway L during night or low-visibility operations.
- Evaluating the relocation or removal of lighting poles near the northern edge of the apron.
- Installing lighted taxiway guidance on the apron.