What happened
On October 26, 2021, at approximately 16:45 local time, a Boeing 737-700, registration C9-BAR, operated by Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM), was involved in a serious incident during taxi-out at Pemba Airport. The aircraft, which had arrived from Dar Es Salaam with 89 passengers and 6 crew members, struck the right wing of a parked Hercules C130 (registration OM-3) belonging to the Botswana Air Force.
The collision occurred when the left winglet of the C9-BAR made contact with the aileron of the stationary C130. The impact resulted in abrasions to the C9-BAR winglet and damage to the aileron of the OM-3.
Prior to the incident, the aircraft had parked at its stand without timely assistance from ground marshals. During a pre-departure walk-around, the co-pilot and mechanic noted the close proximity between the wings of the two aircraft. Although the pilot was alerted to this risk and intended to maneuver the aircraft to avoid contact, the collision occurred while the aircraft was taxiing under the guidance of a mechanic acting as a wing man.
The investigation
The investigation by the Unidade de Prevenção e Investigação de Acidentes com Aeronaves (UPIAA) established that the parking of the C130 was performed in an extremely tight manner, leaving insufficient clearance between the two aircraft.
Investigators found that ground personnel, specifically marshals, were not present during the arrival or departure phases of the movement. Furthermore, the mechanic acting as a wing man during the taxi-out was experiencing significant difficulty seeing clearly due to solar glare. The investigation also noted that the airport apron was congested and that there had been no prior notification provided to ground staff regarding the aircraft's arrival time.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the congested state of the airport apron combined with improper parking of the stationary aircraft.
- A lack of available ground marshals during the movement of the aircraft.
- The crew failed to take sufficient corrective measures despite being aware of the potential danger posed by the proximity of the wings.
- Visual impairment of the wing man due to sun glare hindered effective monitoring during taxi.