Occurrence
On December 9, 2023, at 13:10 UTC, an Embraer 195 aircraft (registration CS-TAX, serial number 19000344) operated by TAP Express was involved in a ground handling incident at Lisbon Airport (LPPT). The aircraft had arrived from Porto at 08:14 and parked at stand 703 without reported issues. After passenger boarding and door closure, the pilot-in-command asked the ramp agent about departure readiness. The agent replied that the stairs were being removed. The pilot then made a passenger announcement about the delay.
Shortly after, the pilot noticed the stairs had been removed and requested start-up procedures. The ramp agent informed the flight crew that the aircraft had a small dent in the passenger stair area. The pilot consulted the onboard Dent & Buckle Chart (D&BC) and found several existing dents in that area. The crew determined the dent was already recorded and thus safety was not compromised, and proceeded with the flight.
The flight to Dublin (EIDW) departed and landed at 15:55 UTC. After landing, the crew received an ACARS message from the operator's maintenance requesting inspection of the area under the left cockpit window. The damage was confirmed, and the aircraft was withdrawn from service in Dublin for assessment. On December 15, it flew positioning to Lisbon for repair and returned to service on December 19.
Subsequent Damage Events
The investigation gathered additional information from the operator and handling service provider. Damage recorded on December 28, 2023, and January 17, 2024, on the same aircraft in the same area showed a similar V-shaped mark from contact by a blunt object. These subsequent events did not perforate the fuselage. Repairs followed manufacturer instructions.
Aircraft and Operator
The Embraer 190/195 series are regional and medium-haul aircraft with double-bubble fuselages. The operator, TAP Express, operates 19 aircraft of the type (12 E190, 7 E195) with an average of 200 flight hours per month per aircraft, resulting in about 2,200 ground cycles per month. The aircraft are not equipped with integrated airstairs, requiring ground support equipment like movable stairs or passenger boarding bridges.
The operator maintains a structural damage recording system (D&BC) with markings on the fuselage and onboard documentation. One assessed aircraft had 217 entries, with about 70 still active. The high number of entries complicates quick comparison with new damage.
Handling Service Provider
The ground handling provider involved in the incident has about 2,500 employees across five national airports. On December 9, during detection of the dent, the entity was responsible for releasing the aircraft for flight.
Safety Alert
On December 25, 2023, the operator issued a safety alert to its ground handling providers referencing eight recent incidents with operational impact due to structural damage, stating the damage was similar and probably caused by the same failure of equipment or procedures.