What happened
On the night of 14 November 2003, a Boeing 737-800, registration 5B-DBX, arrived at Manchester Airport from Cyprus for a scheduled passenger service. The aircraft was directed to park at Stand 209L. As the aircraft was completing its arrival at a groundspeed of approximately three knots, its left winglet struck the right wingtip of a Boeing 767 that was parked at the adjacent Stand 210C. There were no fatalities and no injuries among the 188 passengers or the 7 crew members on board. The collision resulted in damage to the winglet of the 5B-DBX and the wingtip of the stationary Boeing 767.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the stand allocation processes and the timing of aircraft movements. While the airport's ARIS computer system was correctly programmed to prevent conflicting aircraft from occupying adjacent stands, the investigation found that the actual movements on the night deviated significantly from the planned schedule.
A Boeing 767 was scheduled to be towed to Stand 210C much later in the night, but it was actually moved to that position several hours ahead of schedule. Simultaneously, the Airside Co-ordinator had reassigned the 5B-DBX to Stand 209L to improve customer service, without updating the handling agents regarding the potential for wingtip clearance conflicts.
Furthermore, the investigation examined the actions of the Operational Support Officer (OSO) responsible for docking guidance. The OSO, unaware that the specific winglet configuration of the Boeing 737-800 required the same clearance as a larger aircraft, did not identify the risk. The investigation also noted a lack of formal, recorded training for OSOs regarding the complex centerline interdependencies at Terminal 2.
Findings
- The primary cause of the collision was the unplanned arrival of the Boeing 767 at Stand 210C, which occurred well before its scheduled time.
- The Airside Co-ordinator changed the arrival stand for the 5B-DBX but failed to notify the handling agents that this change created a conflict with the existing aircraft on the adjacent stand.
- The handling agent's ramp allocator proceeded with the tow of the Boeing 767 based on a misunderstanding of instructions, believing they were clear to move the aircraft once a different aircraft had departed.
- The OSO lacked the necessary training to recognize that the winglets on the 5B-DBX necessitated wider clearance protocols.
- The airport's tracking system did not provide real-time updates for empty aircraft tows, meaning the Airside Co-ordinator was unaware the Boeing 767 had already occupied the conflicting stand.