What happened
On October 17, 2016, an Antonov AN-26B cargo aircraft registered EW-259TG, operated by Genex Ltd. of Belarus, landed at Timișoara International Airport (LRTR) on runway 11. The flight originated from Ukraine, with Artem Avia listed as the owner. Upon landing, the crew followed instructions from the control tower to taxi via taxiway L toward the northern platform area.
At the time of the incident, the airport was undergoing restoration of aircraft parking platform markings, which had been suspended under NOTAM A2821/16. Consequently, aircraft were required to follow dispatcher signals or a FOLLOW-ME car. The AN-26B was taken over by a FOLLOW-ME vehicle at the intersection with the platform and guided along taxiway M toward the designated parking position on the northern side.
During the final approach to the parking spot, which required two left turns to face south, the aircraft collided with the first lighting pole on the platform edge with its right wing. The pole was knocked down. The crew failed to notice an emergency stop signal from the dispatcher and continued taxiing until the aircraft struck a second, inclined lighting pole. The incident occurred at 17:11 local time (14:11 UTC). There were no injuries to the four-person crew, which included the commander, co-pilot, navigator, and flight engineer. The only damage was minor dents on the leading edge of the right wing.
The investigation
The Romanian Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Center (CIAS) investigated the serious incident. Video footage from platform surveillance cameras confirmed that the FOLLOW-ME car initially guided the aircraft correctly. However, as the aircraft approached the platform edge and prepared for tight turns, the distance between the vehicle and the aircraft increased because the car maintained its speed while the aircraft slowed down.
The investigation noted that the AN-26B has a nose landing gear steering limit of 45 degrees to each side, requiring a larger turning radius at reduced speeds. The crew, who were visiting the airport for the first time, focused entirely on visually tracking the FOLLOW-ME car and neglected to monitor their wingtip clearance relative to the platform edge obstacles.
Findings
The probable cause of the incident was the crew's failure to maintain a safe distance from obstacles while approaching the platform edge. The entire attention of the commander and co-pilot was concentrated on following the lead vehicle, causing them to neglect supervision of the right wing's trajectory during the turn.
A contributing factor was the dispatcher's non-compliance with safety protocols regarding the FOLLOW-ME car. The dispatcher failed to maintain an optimal distance between the car and the aircraft, ignoring the fact that the crew was unfamiliar with the airport layout and that the aircraft required a wider turning radius. This lack of adjusted speed prevented the crew from having clear visibility of the route and obstacles.
Safety action
Following the incident, Timișoara International Airport implemented immediate internal measures to prevent recurrence during future platform marking restorations. The new procedure requires that aircraft be guided by a FOLLOW-ME car only up to the platform edge. From there, parking guidance must be performed manually using specific signs and signals.
Additionally, for parking on the northern platform side where lighting poles are present, the procedure now mandates the use of a wing walker. This individual confirms to the crew that the area for the exterior wing turn is clear of obstacles before the aircraft proceeds.