What happened
On 17 March 2019, a Tecnam P2006T, registration G-SACL, was involved in a ground accident during a private flight at Redhill Aerodrome. While taxiing, the pilot attempted to maneuver the aircraft to the left to maintain clearance from a Piper PA-28 parked on the right side of the taxiway. During this maneuver, the pilot was simultaneously monitoring the right side for clearance and looking ahead to locate the taxiway centerline.
Due to faded and confusing white road markings on the apron, the pilot struggled to identify the correct path. In the process of attempting to regain the centerline, the left wing tip of the aircraft struck a large metal generator situated near the edge of the apron. The impact caused the aircraft to slew left, eventually coming to a stop after the nose made contact with a parked articulated lorry. There were no injuries to the two crew members on board, though the aircraft sustained damage to the nose cone, the left wing, and the left engine cowl. A fuel leak was identified from the fractured left wing tank, requiring the arrival of the fire service to secure the scene.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation established that the pilot's attention was divided between avoiding the parked PA-28 and searching for a visible centerline. The investigation noted that the generator's color made it difficult to distinguish from the hangar located behind it. Furthermore, the presence of old, faded white road markings contributed to the difficulty in navigating the apron accurately.
Findings
- The pilot was focused on maintaining clearance from an aircraft parked on the right side of the taxiway.
- The aircraft's left wing struck a generator because the pilot was unable to clearly identify the taxiway centerline due to faded and overlapping road markings.
- The generator was positioned close to the apron edge and its appearance blended with the background hangar.
- The aircraft was taxiing in an area lacking clear guidance for pilots.
Safety action
Following an inspection by a CAA aerodrome inspector, the airport operator agreed to several improvements, including:
- The installation of a new yellow taxiway centerline marking 6 meters from the existing hangar edge markings.
- The creation of a red safety line 6 meters from the new yellow centerline to define parking boundaries.
- New instructions for operators to ensure parked aircraft wheels are positioned back toward the grass edge.
- An update to the UK AIP to advise pilots to request assistance if they are uncertain about wing tip clearance.