Overview
On 17 July 2000 at 0600 hours UTC, a Boeing 737-37Q, registration G-ODSK, was at Birmingham Airport preparing for a public transport flight. While passengers were boarding, the commander felt a jolt through the airframe. An external inspection revealed damage to the rear right fuselage skin, just aft of the rear cargo door.
Incident Details
A 'baggage' truck was parked nearby, and the driver acknowledged that his vehicle had impacted the aircraft. The driver stated that he had approached the aircraft from the rear with the intention of stopping near the aircraft baggage hold. He was driving slowly but found the vehicle difficult to turn and was unable to stop before hitting the aircraft.
Investigation Findings
A subsequent airport investigation confirmed the serviceability of the vehicle but also confirmed that it was difficult to steer and that the brake pedal was in an unusually high position. The electrical 'baggage' truck involved is no longer used near aircraft. The investigation also found that there was very little direct training given to drivers on how to approach aircraft; additional training has now been allocated to new personnel.