What happened
On July 6, 2014, an incident occurred at Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA) involving an Airbus 3/19 during ground handling operations. While a tug was approaching the towbar connected to the aircraft's nose gear, the driver's foot slipped from the brake pedal to the accelerator. This caused the tug to surge forward and strike the towbar with significant force.
The impact was severe enough to shear the bolts securing the towbar adapter to the aircraft's nose landing gear. The damage necessitated the removal and disassembly of the adapter, resulting in a 90-minute departure delay. Following an assessment and consultation with the airline's technical department, the flight was cleared to proceed.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the actions of the ground handling personnel and the physical conditions of the equipment. Investigators confirmed that the tug driver was sober at the time of the incident. However, the investigation established that the driver's footwear had become contaminated with oil, likely originating from a highloader, which caused the foot to slip from the brake pedal.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure of the driver to exercise adequate caution while maneuvering the tug toward the towbar.
- Contamination of the driver's boot soles with oil from loading equipment acted as a contributing factor to the loss of pedal control.
Safety action
Following the incident, several preventive measures were implemented:
- Ground handling procedures were updated to require personnel to inspect the condition of their work boots before operating tugs.
- Anti-slip elements were applied to the tug pedals, with a mandate to inspect similar equipment across the fleet.
- The details of this incident were integrated into Airside Safety training for all relevant employees.