No fatalities

Fuel Truck Strikes Airplane Horizontal Stabilizer at Terminal

Greer, SC, United States

On April 16, 2015, a SHORT BROS SD 360-300 VARIANT300 operated by Air Cargo Carriers was involved in an aviation accident near Greer, SC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The fuel truck driver's inattention, which resulted in backing over a warning cone and into the horizontal stabilizer of the airplane. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

During cargo loading, a fuel truck backing up struck an airplane's horizontal stabilizer after the captain directed the truck to the right side.

Incident Overview

An airplane was positioned at a terminal gate while cargo loading operations were underway. The co-pilot was on board, engaged in pre-flight preparations. The captain, who was outside the aircraft, instructed the fuel truck driver to proceed to the right side of the airplane in preparation for refueling.

Sequence of Events

The captain had intended to guide the fuel truck after first preparing the fuel service panel. However, as he turned around, he observed the truck reversing over an orange marker cone and subsequently making contact with the airplane's horizontal stabilizer.

Damage Assessment

The collision resulted in substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and the attached elevator. No further details regarding the extent of the damage or subsequent repair actions have been provided.

Contributing factors

Causes

Damaged/degradedGround crew

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation