What happened
On 22 September 2002, an Antonov An124-100, registration UR82009, arrived at London Manston Airport following a flight from Ukraine. After landing on Runway 28, the aircraft was instructed to backtrack and exit the runway via Taxiway Charlie. During the taxi sequence, the commander moved the aircraft to the right of the taxiway centerline to maintain clearance from a building on the left side of the path. Once past the structure, the pilot steered the aircraft at a shallow angle toward the left side of the centerline to avoid a parked DC-8 located on the right.
As the crew observed a marshaller, the commander instructed the first officer to monitor the right side of the aircraft. During this maneuver, Air Traffic Control (ATC) notified the crew that the right wing appeared to have struck the DC-8, prompting the aircraft to stop. Following the incident, the crew proceeded to their assigned parking bay and shut down the engines. A post-flight inspection confirmed damage to the right wing fairing of UR82009 and a broken direct vision window on the stationary DC-8. There were no injuries to the 24 crew members on board.
The investigation
The investigation examined the taxiway dimensions and the operational constraints of the aircraft. Taxiway Charlie is 15 metres wide and features a category C strip, which provides a cleared area extending 28.5 metres from the centerline. Given the 73.3-metre wingspan of the Antonov An124-100, the wingtips would extend 8.15 metres beyond this safety strip even when centered on the taxiway. The investigation also reviewed the aerodrome's regulatory framework, noting that under the Manual of Air Traffic Services and the airport's own Aerodrome Manual, aircraft with an aerodrome reference code of E are prohibited from using taxiways Bravo, Charlie, or Delta under their own power.
Findings
- The commander's attention was divided between monitoring the marshaller, communicating with the first officer, and navigating the aircraft along the edge of the taxiway.
- The aircraft was operating on a taxiway that was not permitted for its size under its own power.
- The wingspan of the aircraft exceeded the width of the safe category C strip, meaning the wingtips were at risk of striking objects even when the aircraft was correctly positioned.
Safety action
- Following the event, ATC management distributed a memorandum to controllers to reinforce their responsibilities regarding the supervision of taxiing aircraft.