What happened
On 5 April 2001, at approximately 11:00 UTC, a Boeing 737-3Q8, registration G-OBMP, was stationary at Stand D58R at London Heathrow following a scheduled public transport flight from Brussels. While the aircraft was still parked and before the cabin doors had been opened to allow disembarkation, a slight vibration was felt within the airframe.
Upon noticing the movement, the commander exited the aircraft to conduct a visual inspection, concerned that the aircraft had been struck by an external object. During the walk-around inspection of the right-hand wing, the pilot discovered that a ground services van had collided with the trailing edge of the wing, causing damage to the wing tip.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the collision at the stand. It was established that the incident occurred while the aircraft was parked. Information gathered during the investigation indicated that the driver of the ground services van had been performing a reversing maneuver without the assistance of a marshaller or ground guide.