Incident Overview
On 31 August 2000, at approximately 1005 UTC, a Boeing 737-5Q8 (registration G-BVZH) was being prepared for a scheduled passenger flight to Stuttgart, Germany, on Stand F6 at London Heathrow Airport. During the preparation, a vehicle loading the cargo hold attempted to pass behind the starboard wing and contacted the logo light assembly, causing damage to the starboard wing tip.
Vehicle Maneuvering Requirements
At Heathrow, vehicles maneuvering on or off aircraft were required to have a person on the ground to assist the driver. In this instance, both the driver and the assistant became distracted by a vehicle parked close in on the side further from the aircraft. Consequently, they failed to notice the proximity of the other side of the lorry to the aircraft wing.
Cones Not Deployed
In an effort to reduce the number of aircraft damaged by ground vehicles, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) had issued an Operational Safety Instruction on 25 August 2000, recommending the use of cones by airlines and ground handling companies. These cones were to be placed by operators to mark the locations of engines and wing tips when aircraft were parked on stand. Although cones were available at the time of the incident, they were not in use by the operator.
Damage and Injuries
The collision resulted in damage to the starboard wing tip area. There were no injuries to the six crew members on board; no passengers were on the aircraft at the time.