Incident Overview
On 24 August 1998 at 2008 UTC, an Airbus A300 (registration N70073) operated by an airline as a public transport flight landed at London Heathrow Airport. The aircraft, manufactured in 1989 and powered by two General Electric CF6-80C2A5 turbofan engines, carried 13 crew and 120 passengers. None of the occupants were injured, and only minor damage to the engine cowl was reported.
Sequence of Events
After landing at night, the crew was assigned Stand H9 for parking. Upon arrival, the self-parking guidance system lights were not illuminated. The aircraft was held short while awaiting assistance. A truck approached at high speed and parked adjacent to the stand. An individual exited the truck, switched on the self-parking lights, and then moved out of the crew's sight.
The commander focused on parking the aircraft using the guidance system and was unaware of any problem until the parking manoeuvre was complete. At that point, he noticed an individual standing in front of the aircraft giving a stop signal with his arms. The individual had no wands or lights to make himself more conspicuous. The commander was not aware of any contact but was later informed by Operations that the aircraft had struck a parked vehicle.
Damage and Findings
Subsequent inspection revealed that the left engine cowl had struck the truck that had parked adjacent to the stand. The aircraft was found to be parked correctly within the stand. The commander attributed the incident to the failure of ground personnel to clear the parking area before switching on the self-parking lighting system.