Aircraft Information
The aircraft involved was an Antonov AN12, registration UR-CKL, manufactured in 1971. It was powered by four Ivchenko AI-20 turboprop engines. The flight was a commercial air transport (cargo) operation with seven crew members and no passengers.
History of the Flight
The aircraft had been parked at Liverpool Airport on Stand 41, a ‘taxi in/push back’ stand, as the airport lacked a suitable tow bar for the type. The crew had been guided onto the stand by a marshaller, positioning the left wing between two lighting stands at the southern edge. The parking manoeuvre left the wing protruding, with the expectation that a turn during departure would clear the obstacle.
After loading and engine start, the crew received taxi clearance from ATC for Runway 27. They reported no taxi markings on the stand and no ‘Follow Me Vehicle’ or marshaller to guide them. A ground handling agent was present but not assigned to provide marshalling.
Taxiing forward, the aircraft moved approximately 15–20 metres before the crew felt an impact. They stopped immediately and shut down engines. Inspection revealed that the outer left wing leading edge had struck a lighting stand.
Airport Information
Airport operations stated that parking on Stand 41 was a solution to the tow bar unavailability and had not caused issues on previous visits. The accident occurred in daylight, and operations believed the lighting stands and aircraft’s position were obvious to the crew. They also thought the crew would have requested ATC assistance if concerned.
Comment
The airport accommodated the lack of a tow bar by parking the aircraft in a manner not intended for that stand, allowing departure without pushback. This placed the wing in a position where a collision with a lighting stand was foreseeable. The incident indicated a need for appropriate guidance to be available and requested by the crew.
Safety Action
The airport re-designated Stands 11–14 and 33–41 to permit parking by self-manoeuvring. The AIP entry was updated to inform pilots that a marshaller would be available during departure and to instruct pilots to request assistance when taxiing if needed.