What happened
On 9 February 2012, an Antonov An-12BK, registration UR-DWF, arrived at Birmingham Airport following a cargo flight from Graz, Austria. While taxiing to a parking stand, the crew attempted to maneuver through a narrow gap between two stationary aircraft: a Piaggio P180 and a Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules.
A marshaller and two assistants were directing the aircraft into position. As the aircraft moved forward, the commander focused on maintaining clearance from the Piaggio P180 on the left. While the crew believed the path was clear, the aircraft's right wing made contact with the upper surface of the Hercules's left horizontal tailplane. The collision resulted in scratch damage to the wing of the UR-DWF and the tailplane of the Hercules.
The investigation
The investigation utilized CCTV footage, air traffic control surface movement radar, and reports from the airport authority and the pilot. The inquiry established that the gap between the two parked aircraft measured 42.4 meters. Given the 38-meter wingspan of the Antonov An-12BK, this left a clearance of only 2.2 meters on each side, which was significantly below the recommended safety margin.
Investigators found that the marshalling team's communication was flawed. One assistant, positioned near the Hercules's tail, failed to provide any signals to the crew. Furthermore, the marshaller realized the proximity of the right wing to the Hercules and issued a stop signal, but then resumed directing the aircraft forward, leading to the impact.
Findings
- The clearance provided by the gap was insufficient, offering only 2.2 meters of space on either side, whereas safety guidelines suggest a margin of 20% of the wingspan.
- The marshaller failed to stop the aircraft immediately after recognizing the risk of collision, instead continuing to signal the aircraft forward.
- One of the assistants was not properly trained for their assigned role as a wing tip guide.
- The assistant positioned near the Hercules's tail remained passive and did not signal the crew regarding the narrowing clearance until just before the impact.