Incident Sequence
On 27 September 2003 at 0845 UTC, an Avro RJ85 registered OO-DJS was involved in an incident at Stand 53, Manchester Airport. The aircraft had completed a normal public transport flight. The commander, occupying the left seat, taxied the aircraft slowly to the allocated stand. While manoeuvring, the commander reduced ground speed to allow a vehicle to clear the area. The position of the sun made it difficult for him to follow the lateral guidance system. He continued slowly while looking to the left for the expected mirror to indicate the stopping position. However, the crew realized at a late stage that Stand 53 used a parallax guidance system located to the right. By then the aircraft had moved too far forward. The No 1 engine impacted the jetty; the contact was soft and not detected in the cabin.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft was an Avro RJ85 (four Lycoming LF507-1F turbofan engines) manufactured in 1996. The commander held an Airline Transport Pilot's Licence, was 48 years old, and had 6,780 total flying hours (2,259 on type). His recent flying included 145 hours in the last 90 days and 58 hours in the last 28 days. There were four crew members; passenger count was not known. No injuries were sustained by crew or passengers. Damage was limited to the No 1 engine cowl.
Additional Information
The commander was familiar with Manchester Airport and the area where Stand 53 was located. Airport charts accurately indicated that Stand 53 was equipped with a parallax guidance system. The incident was reported by the pilot on an Aircraft Accident Report form and subsequently investigated by the AAIB.