What happened
On October 31, 2005, at 12:23 UTC, an Airbus A320, registration OY-VKM, operated by My Travel Airways, arrived at Madeira Airport (LPMA) on a passenger flight from Billund. After taxiing to stand A-03, ground operations commenced to prepare the aircraft for passenger disembarkation.
A ground tractor, identified as unit 06-16, approached the aircraft's rear L2 door while towing passenger stairs (unit 004). The tractor driver stopped a short distance from the aircraft and instructed a colleague to dismount the vehicle to detach the stairs from the towing hitch. Before the crew member could release the connection, the tractor driver accelerated abruptly and initiated a sharp right-hand turn. This maneuver caused the passenger stairs to swing into the aircraft, striking the rear fuselage behind the L2 door and underneath the left horizontal stabilizer. The impact resulted in a tear in the fuselage skin, measuring approximately one meter in length and several centimeters in width. There were no injuries to the crew or passengers, and the damage to the Airbus A320 was classified as minor. Due to the damage occurring in a non-pressurized section of the airframe, the aircraft was authorized for a ferry flight to a maintenance facility.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation focused on the ground handling procedures and the movements of the service vehicle. The investigators examined the sequence of the maneuver performed by the tractor driver and evaluated the adherence to airport ground safety protocols. The investigation established that the driver failed to maintain a safe distance and failed to wait for the stairs to be fully disconnected before proceeding with the maneuver.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the irregular maneuver performed by the tractor driver, who disregarded established safety and driving regulations for operating vehicles within the aircraft parking area.
- The driver failed to stop at a safe distance from the aircraft and proceeded to move the vehicle before the passenger stairs were disconnected from the hitch.
- Standard operating procedures require all ground vehicle maneuvers near aircraft to be executed with extreme caution and at low speeds to prevent collisions.