What happened
On December 17, 2010, an Airbus A330-200, registered OD-MEA, was preparing to depart from parking stand H12 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. During a pushback maneuver, a tug and towbar were attached to the aircraft to move it from its position. As the tug driver attempted to align the aircraft with the taxiway centerline, the aircraft ended up in an offset position with the nose gear misaligned.
Following this, the flight crew began the engine start sequence, stabilizing engine number one at idle. Approximately one minute later, as the crew started engine number two, the tug driver attempted to pull the aircraft forward to correct the alignment. During this maneuver, the tug lost traction while driving over ice. The momentum of the aircraft, powered by the two engines at idle, caused it to continue moving forward, pushing the tug. The tug subsequently slid to the left, causing the towbar attachments to break and the tug to strike the side of the aircraft fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Investigators noted that the parking area at stand H12 is a cul-de-sac, which provides limited space for aligning an aircraft during pushback.
Analysis of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) revealed a period of communication confusion between the ground personnel and the flight crew. The CVR recorded loud, unusual thuds, and the ground staff appeared to be requesting that the crew apply the parking brake, though the exact timing of these requests relative to the collision could not be definitively determined. The investigation also confirmed that the ground surface was icy, with black ice present in the area where the tug slid.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a pushback maneuver performed on icy ground.
- Inadequate measures for the prevention or treatment of ice on the surface contributed to the loss of traction.
- The specific configuration of parking stand H12, which offers restricted space for alignment, contributed to the incident.
- Communication difficulties between the ground crew and the flight crew were also identified as a contributing factor.