What happened
On 28 December 2002, at approximately 06:45 UTC, a BAe 146-RJ100, registration G-BZAU, was parked at Stand 12 of Birmingham Airport. The flight crew had boarded the aircraft and were in the process of performing their pre-flight inspections when they observed the aircraft beginning to move and accelerate toward the airport terminal building.
Before the crew could intervene, the left wing of the aircraft struck an adjacent airbridge, causing the movement to stop. Following the impact, the crew observed a tug, still connected to the aircraft via a towbar, driving away from the stand. The collision resulted in damage to the aircraft's number 1 and 2 engines, as well as the nose wheel, and also caused damage to the airbridge structure.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation established that the aircraft had been properly secured with chocks and was not connected to any ground power units or refueling equipment at the time. Meteorological conditions were favorable, and the ramp surface was dry.
The investigation focused on the actions of the tug driver, who had recently begun his shift. It was determined that the driver had been assigned to move the tug but failed to notice that the towbar remained attached to the aircraft. As the driver proceeded, the force of the tug pulled the BAe 146-RJ100 over its chocks, dragging it roughly eight metres into the airbridge before the towbar eventually disconnected.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the tug driver's failure to notice the towbar was still attached to the aircraft.
- The aircraft was correctly chocked and prepared for flight operations.
- The movement of the tug provided sufficient force to overcome the aircraft's chocks and initiate movement.