What happened
On 12 October 2002, at approximately 0540 UTC, a BAe ATP, registration G-MANC, was parked at Stand 3 of Manchester International Airport. The aircraft was undergoing preparations for a scheduled public transport flight during a period of heavy rain. While the flight crew were seated in the cockpit, the aircraft experienced a sudden, violent shudder. Upon inspection, the first officer observed that a bus had collided with the right wingtip of the aircraft while performing a reversing manoeuvre. The commander subsequently exited the aircraft to assess the damage and encountered the bus driver, who was unaware that a collision had occurred.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the ground movement of the vehicle and adherence to airport safety protocols. The AAIB examined the requirements set out in CAP 642 Airside Safety Management, which advises that vehicles should avoid reversing on the apron unless necessary, and that when reversing is required, external guidance should be provided.
At the time of the incident, the airport operator had implemented an Airside Safety Instruction (ASI) issued in August 2001. This instruction mandated that all drivers use a banksman to provide external guidance when reversing on the apron. For vehicles operated by a single person, the ASI required the operator to submit a risk assessment for such manoeuvres, though it did not explicitly mandate a second person be present. The investigation established that for single-crewed vehicles, the responsibility for arranging appropriate external guidance rested with the driver.
Findings
- The BAe ATP sustained damage to its right wingtip and aileron.
- The collision was caused by the driver failing to arrange suitable external guidance before reversing the bus into the aircraft.