Incident Overview
On 14 November 2003 at 2326 UTC, a Boeing 737-800 (registration 5B-DBX) operating a passenger flight from Larnaca to Manchester Airport experienced a collision during parking. The aircraft had two CFM 56-7 turbofan engines and was manufactured in 2003. The flight carried 7 crew and 188 passengers; no injuries were reported. Damage was sustained to the left upper winglet of the Boeing 737 and the right wing tip of a Boeing 767 (registration G-OBYC).
Sequence of Events
After landing, the pilots received instructions to park on Stand 209L at Terminal 2. The Stand Entry Guidance (SEG) system was activated, indicating clearance. An Operational Support Officer (OSO) operated the traffic light guidance. As the aircraft slowed to about three knots, the left winglet contacted the right wing tip of a Boeing 767 parked on Stand 210C. The aircraft was shut down and passengers disembarked normally.
Stand Allocation and Control
Stand allocation at Manchester Airport is managed by Airside Co-ordinators using a computer system (ARIS). Pairs of stands have interdependency; when an even-numbered stand centreline (e.g., 210C) is occupied, the adjacent odd-numbered stand's right centreline should be used. Stand 209L and 210L are limited to aircraft up to Boeing 757 size, and a Boeing 737 with winglets is treated as a B757 for allocation. The ARIS system should flag conflicts if allocation rules are violated.
Analysis of Contributing Factors
The Airside Co-ordinator changed the Boeing 737's stand from 203L to 209L at approximately 2230 hours, after the B757 originally planned on 210L had been towed away early. A Boeing 767 was then towed onto Stand 210C earlier than scheduled (at 2250 instead of 0310). This combination placed a B767 on 210C while a B737 was on 209L, which was not permitted. The Airside Co-ordinator did not update the handling agent about the conflict.
The OSO on duty did not question the presence of the B767 on the adjacent stand, as he was unaware that the B737 with winglets required additional clearance. Due to parallax, he misjudged the proximity and was unable to stop the aircraft in time.
Conclusion
The investigation determined that the collision resulted from compromised wingtip clearance caused by allocating an aircraft to Stand 209L while Stand 210C was occupied. Both the Airside Co-ordinator and OSO lacked awareness of the stand allocation rules for aircraft with winglets.