What happened
On 12 December 2007, a Boeing 757-3CQ, registration G-JMAB, arrived at Manchester Airport for a commercial passenger flight. While the aircraft was taxiing to its assigned parking position at Stand 32, the left engine's intake cowling struck a stationary airbridge. The airbridge had been left in an incorrect position following maintenance work performed on the previous two days.
The pilot was maneuvering the aircraft using the stand's azimuth guidance system. As the aircraft approached the indicated stopping point, the deceleration was more significant than anticipated, causing the aircraft to stop approximately 3 feet short of the target position. Following the impact, the engines were shut down, and all 283 passengers and 10 crew members disembarked safely with no injuries.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation established that the airbridge was not correctly parked within its designated area. Because the airport's Apron Control activated the Stand Entry Docking Guidance (SEDG) system remotely, the controller could not visually verify that the stand was clear or that the airbridge was properly positioned.
At the time of the incident, a dispatcher assigned to the aircraft was unable to reach the stand before the aircraft's arrival. Consequently, there was no ground staff present to identify the obstruction. The investigation also noted that there were no formal written procedures at the time for managing stand closures or inspecting the arrangement of equipment after maintenance work had been completed.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the incorrect positioning of the airbridge at Stand 32.
- The remote activation of the docking guidance system by Apron Control prevented a visual check of the stand's status.
- There was a lack of established procedures for verifying that a stand was clear and properly configured following maintenance.
- The absence of specific surface markings to define stand boundaries contributed to the difficulty in determining if the stand was clear.
Safety action
The AAIB issued Safety Recommendation 2008–025, advising Manchester Airport Plc to review its procedures to ensure that Stand Entry Docking Guidance lighting is not activated by Apron Control until positive communication is received from staff at the stand, confirming the area is clear.