Incident Details
On 6 April 2013, a Flydubai Boeing 737-800 (registration A6-FDE) was parked on Stand E-10 at Dubai International Airport, scheduled to operate a flight to Doha International Airport. While awaiting pushback, the flight crew felt a shock and requested a maintenance check. Two empty containers had been blown off 10F dollies and impacted the aircraft, causing damage to the port side fuselage aft of the wing. The aircraft was later grounded after assessment.
Damage
The fuselage sustained two tears and a puncture on the lower port side, including dents and a puncture in the area between stations 727E and 747, and a puncture on the left wing-to-body fairing. The damage was documented as beyond limit.
Injuries
There were no injuries to the 178 persons on board. One maintenance personnel sustained minor bruising to his nose and forehead while attempting to stop the containers and received first aid.
Meteorological Conditions
The incident occurred during a sandstorm with rain and strong winds of 45 knots. Adverse weather warnings were transmitted by the Joint Control Room and the Dubai Operation Control Centre via email and phone calls. The ground handler received these warnings.
Causes
The investigation determined two causes for the containers impacting the aircraft: (1) The containers had not been secured to the dollies. (2) The existing procedure for adverse weather operations involving the airport authority and ground handler was not implemented.
Safety Recommendations
The investigation report included three safety recommendations addressed to the General Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Airport.