Incident Overview
On July 15, 2006, a Boeing 747-400 operated by Thai International (registration HS-TGY) and an Embraer EMB-135 operated by Régional (registration F-GOHC) were involved in a ground collision at Madrid-Barajas Airport. The B747 had arrived from Rome and was parked at stand 73. The flight crew remained on board for the return flight under call sign THA943. The ground controller cleared the aircraft to taxi via taxiway C4 and then taxiway Mike (M) to runway 36R. However, the B747 continued straight onto taxiway I instead of turning right onto M-7.
Sequence of Events
At 10:25 UTC, the controller instructed the B747 to taxi via Mike. Shortly after, due to a pushback of another aircraft, the controller offered a revised route via Charlie Four and then Mike, which the crew accepted. The subsequent radio communication from the B747 at 10:30:50 UTC prompted the controller to inform them that they were not on the correct taxiway. The crew then reported hitting an aircraft. The B747 had followed a modified centerline on taxiway I, which was under construction and restricted to aircraft no larger than an Airbus A321, as per NOTAM C4125 available to the crew.
Aircraft Damage
The B747 struck the EMB-135, which was parked at stand 22 with its engines off but powered, awaiting passenger boarding. The EMB-135 sustained major structural damage; its T-tail completely detached. The B747's right winglet was damaged. The B747 crew shut down engines after the collision but kept the APU running. The aircraft was later towed, and the winglet was removed. The B747 returned to service the next day on a revenue flight.
Flight Recorder Data
The flight data recorder captured a groundspeed of 6-8 knots at the time of impact. Braking resulted in a longitudinal deceleration of -0.434 g. Lateral acceleration peaked at -0.075 g at 10:30:38 UTC, likely corresponding to the collision. The cockpit voice recorder's memory was overwritten because it remained powered for over two hours after the event, as the flight crew was unaware of procedures to secure the data.