What happened
On 17 December 2002, a Boeing 737-3L9, registration G-BZZB, was being prepared for a scheduled passenger flight from Stansted Airport to Amsterdam. After the aircraft doors had been closed, the pushback crew performed a visual inspection of the area to ensure no obstructions were present. At the time, an Airbus A321 was parked on the adjacent stand.
A ground servicing vehicle, which had been providing catering services to the A321, had reversed into the clearway located between the wingtips of the two aircraft. As the pushback commenced, the tug driver began the maneuver with a correction to realign the nosewheel, which had drifted to the right of the stand centerline. During this movement, the left wingtip of the Boeing 737-3L9 made contact with the stationary servicing vehicle. The collision resulted in minor damage to the aircraft's wingtip and the vehicle.
The investigation
Investigators examined the positioning of the aircraft and the ground vehicle, noting that the vehicle was parked within the marked clearway between the two stands. While the pushback and servicing crews were aware of the vehicle's presence, they incorrectly believed there was sufficient clearance to complete the maneuver without incident. Although the servicing vehicle crew members were outside their vehicle, they could not provide a warning to the tug driver quickly enough to avoid the impact.
Findings
- The primary cause of the collision was the insufficient clearance between the wingtips of the two aircraft due to the positioning of the servicing vehicle.
- A reduction in vigilance by the pushback crew occurred while they were focused on monitoring the start of the right engine.
- The servicing vehicle was parked in a restricted clearway, in violation of airport notices regarding stand size limitations and vehicle parking.
- The tug driver's initial correction to realign the nosewheel contributed to the wingtip's path intersecting with the vehicle.