History of the Event
On 23 December 2014, passengers were boarding a Boeing 737-8JP (registration LN-DYS) at London Gatwick Airport's Stand 14. After approximately 140 passengers had boarded, the flight crew, who were completing briefings and performance calculations, felt a sideways lurch accompanied by a grinding noise. Cabin crew alerted them that a lorry had struck the aircraft. The commander immediately halted boarding and went outside. He observed a toilet servicing truck partially under the rear fuselage; its driver stood by the cab with his head in his hands. Another man, later identified as a second toilet service crewman, lay on the ground calling out in pain.
The commander noted that the truck had overshot its intended stopping position by about 3.5 m. The truck's rear deck, normally too high to pass under the fuselage, had crushed the other crewman between the toilet truck and a baggage conveyor positioned near the rear freight bay door on the right side of the aircraft. The impact tore a gash approximately one metre long in the fuselage skin, and the forward fuselage slewed left, making contact with the air bridge.
After fire service paramedics attended to the injured man and an ambulance was called, the commander requested police attendance. He then re-entered the aircraft, ordered passenger disembarkation, and checked the aircraft's condition, confirming no fuel leakage. After overseeing the disembarkation and making an announcement, he provided a statement to police and left the scene.
Investigation
The ground handling company that operated the toilet servicing truck submitted a report to the AAIB. In it, the driver stated that he accidentally pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake. The injured man had been acting as a banksman to guide the driver while reversing, as required by company procedures. The report noted that the banksman appeared to have been standing directly behind the vehicle rather than to one side, which is better practice. No issues with training or vehicle serviceability were identified.
Injuries and Damage
The aircraft sustained a tear of approximately 1 m in its lower rear fuselage. The injured ground crewman suffered serious injuries. None of the 6 crew or 140 passengers were injured.