What happened
On 14 May 1998, two aircraft were parked near the terminal building at Norwich Airport. The first aircraft, a Boeing 737-300, registration EC-FKJ, was cleared by air traffic control to begin its taxi for departure. As the pilot increased engine thrust to move the aircraft, a strip of tarmac sealant had become lodged in the nosewheel tyre. After the aircraft had travelled roughly 50 metres, a ground engineer signalled the pilot to halt. Upon inspection, the debris was removed and the aircraft continued its taxi.
During this movement, the jet blast from the Boeing 737-300 dislodged a large wooden board from a nearby electric baggage trolley. This board, measuring approximately 6 feet by 4 feet, struck the tail fin of a second aircraft, an ATR 72-202, registration G-UKTL, which was parked on an adjacent stand. There were no injuries and no fatalities resulting from the incident, though the ATR 72-202 sustained puncture holes to its vertical stabilizer.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of the taxiing aircraft and the movement of debris on the apron. The Airfield Operations Director observed that during the initial taxi attempt, the nosewheel of the EC-FKCT was positioned at a sharp angle, which appeared to cause the tyre to shred. However, it was later determined that the material seen by the Director was actually a 2-foot length of tarmac crack sealing strip that had been pulled from the ground by the nosewheel.
As the pilot of the EC-FKJ adjusted power to arrest a brief backward roll, the tail of the aircraft was directed toward the parked G-UKTL. This movement coincided with the wooden board being blown from the baggage trolley's battery compartment cover.
Findings
- The primary cause of the damage to the ATR 72-202 was the dislodgement of a wooden board from a baggage trolley caused by jet blast.
- The initial concern regarding tyre damage was a misidentification of tarmac sealant strip being pulled from the apron surface.
- The incident occurred during a period of taxiing where power adjustments were being made to manage the aircraft's movement.