What happened
On 14 April 2007, a Britten-Norman BN2A Mk III-2 Trislander, registration G-BEDP, was preparing for a commercial passenger flight at Jersey Airport. The aircraft was parked at Stand 8, positioned alongside a parked, empty Jetstream aircraft.
Prior to boarding, the pilot was alerted by ground marshallers to the close proximity of the Jetstream. To ensure a safe departure, the commander requested that marshallers monitor the wing tips of both aircraft during the taxiing process. As the aircraft began to move, the pilot released the parking brake and applied power to the left engine to initiate a right-hand turn, intended to clear the Jetstream's left wing.
During this maneuver, the pilot checked for clearance relative to the terminal building and the Jetstream. However, as the aircraft progressed, the left wing tip of G-BEDP made contact with the right wing tip of the stationary Jetstream. The collision resulted in no injuries to the crew or passengers, but caused a small dent and scraped paint on the Trislander's left wing tip, as well as damage to the Jetstream's right wing tip strobe light lens and upper cover.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the parking configuration on Stand 8, which had been modified in February 2007 due to the closure of Stand 7. The investigation established that the Jetstream had been parked slightly forward of the Trislander's left wing tip the previous evening.
Ground personnel provided testimony regarding the positioning of the aircraft. A marshaller noted that while the wing tips were roughly co-incident, the Jetstream's wing tip was positioned slightly ahead of the Trislander. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's actions, noting that the commander had specifically requested monitoring from the ground crew and had received positive signals from the marshallers before proceeding.