What happened
On December 13, 1996, at 17:01, a Lufthansa Boeing 737-50 and registration D-ABIB, operating flight LH-3004 from Frankfurt, arrived at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. As the aircraft taxied toward parking stand 29, the visual docking guidance lights were non-functional because the gate agent had not yet arrived at the passenger bridge. Consequently, the captain taxied the aircraft to a stop a few meters short of the bridge. The crew reported the lighting failure to Air Traffic Control.
Upon being notified, a "Follow Me" ground controller decided to take the initiative to guide the aircraft into the stand using illuminated wands to expedite the process. The controller positioned himself to the left of the aircraft's nose to monitor the clearance between the engine and the passenger bridge. However, while signaling the aircraft to stop, the front edge of the left engine intake struck the passenger bridge. The incident occurred in darkness during light sleet, which may have impacted depth perception. There were no injuries to any personnel.
The investigation
The investigation examined the training protocols for ground controllers and the specific circumstances of the docking procedure. Investigators noted that the parking stand lacked a specific stop line for this aircraft type, a feature typically intended for tractor towing rather than taxiing aircraft.
Authorities also reviewed the training of the ground controller, who had been in the role since mid-1995. While trained in hand-signal guidance for outer-pier stands (which lack bridges), the controller had never been trained to guide aircraft to inner-pier stands where passenger bridges are present. The investigation also included police testing, which confirmed a blood alcohol content of 0.00‰ for both the flight crew and the ground controller.