What happened
On 25 November 1999, a Boeing 757-236, registration G-BIKM, was being positioned at London Heathrow Airport. After the aircraft had taxied to a position abeam Stand S2, the engines were shut down and the parking brake was engaged. During the arrival at the stand, a ground engineer established communication with the tug driver, who was reversing toward the aircraft with a tow bar attached.
As the tug approached, a loud impact occurred, causing the aircraft to jolt. The tow bar had made contact with the nose landing gear. The impact resulted in a minor injury to the tug driver, necessitating an ambulance response. Emergency services, including the Police and the Airport Fire Service, as well as the airline's engineering team, attended the scene. Following the incident, the aircraft was moved to Stand S1 by a different tug to facilitate repairs.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanics of the contact between the tug and the aircraft. It was determined that the impact between the tow bar and the nose landing gear caused damage to one of the nosewheel tyres. The driver of the tug was taken to the hospital for observation following the minor injury sustained during the collision.