What happened
On 4 January 2020, a Learjet 31, registration N127VL, was taxiing at Terence B Lettsome Airport in the British Virgin Islands following a landing on Runway 07. The aircraft was operating as a commercial passenger flight. Under the direction of ground personnel, the crew navigated the aircraft through rows of parked planes toward the parking apron. The weather conditions were clear with dry surfaces and a brisk north-east wind.
As the crew followed signals from ground staff, they were instructed to execute a turn behind a parked Cessna T206H, registration N35014. During this maneuver, the winglet of the Learjet made contact with the rudder of the stationary Cessna. The flight crew immediately halted the aircraft and shut down the engines to conduct an inspection. The collision resulted in no injuries and no damage to the Learjet, though the Cessna sustained a small tear on the trailing edge of its rudder.
The investigation
The investigation examined the movements of both aircraft and the positioning of the ground staff. It was noted that the crew was following signals from two individuals in yellow vests, one of whom was positioned near the right wingtip of the Cessna. While the crew attempted to taxi cautiously and monitor the ground personnel, the pilot in the right seat perceived the contact during the turn.
Findings
- The contact occurred while the Learjet 31 was performing a turn behind a parked aircraft.
- The primary cause of the incident was the inability of the flight crew to visually confirm wingtip clearance due to the swept-wing design of the aircraft, which necessitates total reliance on ground marshallers for spatial awareness.