Incident Summary
On 22 October 2000, a Boeing 737-59D, registration G-OBMX, was involved in an incident at London Heathrow Airport while taxiing to Stand B27R. The aircraft, powered by two CFM 56-3C1 turbofan engines and manufactured in 1991, was operating a public transport passenger flight. No injuries were reported among crew or passengers, but the engine sustained damage.
Sequence of Events
As the aircraft turned onto the stand, the stand guidance system was active, indicating that the area had been inspected and cleared for use. While approaching the parking position, a ground crewman signalled the crew to stop and shut down the right engine. The engine had made contact with a set of low steps and ingested a pallet clip that had been left on them.
The crew noted several distractions in the vicinity of the stand that may have diverted their attention. An adjacent aircraft was completing a pushback, and a ground crewman was repositioning the ground power cable because the aircraft's auxiliary power unit (APU) was unserviceable.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The commander, aged 32, held an Airline Transport Pilot's Licence and had a total flying experience of 5,670 hours, with 5,400 hours on type. In the last 90 days, he had flown 182 hours, including 59 hours in the last 28 days.
The aircraft was manufactured in 1991. The number of persons on board was not reported.
Conclusions
The incident report, submitted by the pilot, details the engine contact with steps and the ingestion of a pallet clip. The presence of distractions near the stand was observed by the crew. No probable cause was assigned in the source.