What happened
On 31 May 1999, an Airbus A321-112, registration I-BIXD, was prepared for a scheduled passenger flight from London Heathrow Airport to Rome Fiumicino Airport. During the pushback phase from Stand F4, an incident occurred involving ground support equipment. As a set of mobile steps was being moved in reverse away from the aircraft's L4 entry door, the equipment struck the door structure. This impact resulted in damage that prevented the door from being closed correctly.
There were no injuries to the 128 passengers or the 7 crew members on board, and no fatalities were reported. The aircraft was subsequently removed from active service to undergo necessary repairs.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the operator. The inquiry focused on the movement of ground equipment near the aircraft's fuselage during the departure sequence. The examination established that the damage was localized to the L4 entry door structure and was caused by the physical contact with the mobile steps during their reversal.