What happened
On 18 December 2003, a Boeing 737-800, registration EI-CSA, was undergoing refuelling at Stansted, Essex, in preparation for a passenger flight. At the time of the incident, 150 passengers were already on board, and the flight crew was reviewing the loadsheet provided by the flight despatcher.
During this period, the despatcher left the flight deck to move ground steps away from the rear of the aircraft. Shortly thereafter, the crew experienced a physical jolt to the airframe. Ground personnel reported that a set of steps had struck the rear section of the aircraft near the Auxiliary Power Unit (APIT). The refuelling process was immediately halted, and the fuel connection was disconnected by the refueller, who had witnessed the impact.
The investigation
Following the impact, the flight crew requested ground power and deactivated the APU to allow for a technical inspection. The investigation established that the damage was concentrated on the access panels located beneath the APU.
It was determined that the collision occurred when the despatcher, while operating a tug, attempted to reposition the equipment. The individual had moved the tug from beneath the right side of the aircraft toward the left rear side. However, the operator failed to realize that a second set of steps remained attached to the tug, leading to the collision with the aircraft tail.