Incident
On 3 January 2000, at 2355 hours UTC, a Boeing 747-236B (registration G-BDXB) was parked on Stand H9 at London Heathrow Airport. The aircraft, manufactured in 1977 and powered by four Rolls-Royce RB211-524D4 turbofan engines, was being prepared for a public transport flight with 21 crew and 109 passengers on board.
Sequence of Events
A baggage loader had completed loading the forward hold and moved the elevator truck away from the aircraft to close the hold door. However, he did not reverse the vehicle sufficiently clear of the aircraft. As the door was being closed, the bottom left-hand corner of the door came into contact with one of the safety rails on the elevator bridge, resulting in damage to the forward cargo door.
Aftermath
The baggage loader immediately reported the damage to the dispatcher, who informed the aircraft commander. Following an engineering inspection, it was decided that the aircraft should not fly until the damage was repaired, and the flight was subsequently cancelled. No injuries to crew or passengers were reported.
Contributing Factor
The baggage loader stated that he had been unable to lower the safety rail to the horizontal position prior to closing the hold door. A subsequent inspection confirmed that an incorrect safety rail had been fitted to the elevator truck.