What happened
On 24 November 2005, an Airbus A319-111, registration G-EZEU, was preparing for a scheduled passenger flight to Alicante from Nottingham East Midlands Airport. During the departure process from Stand 50, the flight crew elected to self-manoeuvre the aircraft rather than using a pushback tug. This decision was based on a local practice where previous aircraft types had successfully exited the stand without assistance, and the crew sought to avoid the time required to arrange for a tug.
As the aircraft began to taxi, the commander intended to turn right to navigate around a nearby pylon and a parked Airbus A320 located on the adjacent stand. However, the aircraft did not follow the intended path. While the ground crewman (the wingman) attempted to signal the pilot to stop by crossing his arms, the reflection of the aircraft's navigation lights prevented the commander from seeing the signal clearly. Consequently, the left wingtip of G-EZEU struck the left wingtip of the stationary A320.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) to reconstruct the movement of the aircraft. The data revealed that the aircraft travelled approximately 38 metres, performing a right-hand turn using differential thrust. The investigation also reviewed the operational procedures for Stand 50 and the historical use of self-manoeuvring by the operator's Boeing 737-300 fleet.
Investigators noted that the commander was relatively new to the airport, having only arrived from a Berlin base two days prior. While the co-pilot was familiar with the local practice of self-manoeuvring, the commander relied on information provided by the co-pilot and ground crew that the procedure was standard. It was also established that the A319 has a significantly larger wingspan than the B737-300, which had previously used the stand, thereby reducing the safety margin between the aircraft and nearby obstructions.
Findings
- The commander was influenced by a local, non-standard practice of self-manoeuvring that had become common among the crew.
- The use of a non-standard departure procedure reduced the necessary clearance between the aircraft and the adjacent aircraft.
- The commander did not observe the wingman's stop signal due to the glare from the aircraft's navigation lights.
- The larger wingspan of the Airbus A319-111 compared to previous aircraft types at the stand eroded the safety margin near the pylon and the neighbouring aircraft.