What happened
On April 13, 2007, an EL AL Boeing 747-400, registration 4X-ELD, was positioned on a taxiway at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport following a pushback from stand A38. While the flight crew was performing pre-taxi preparations, ground personnel were still working beneath the aircraft to disconnect the towbar. A ground mechanic, communicating with the cockpit via a wired headset, was in the process of removing the steering bypass pin.
During this period, the crew received taxi clearance from ground control to proceed behind a Boeing 7ally 777. The pilot began the taxi maneuver while the pushback vehicle and three ground personnel were still positioned under the aircraft. Shortly after movement began, the aircraft's number 3 engine struck the pushback vehicle, dragging it approximately twenty meters. The ground personnel managed to move away from the danger zone during the collision.
The investigation
Investigators examined the standard pushback procedures and the specific circumstances of the day. Under normal protocols, once the aircraft is stopped, the towbar is disconnected, and the mechanic removes the steering bypass pin. The mechanic then signals the crew with a thumbs-up to indicate the area under the aircraft is clear. The crew is only permitted to begin taxiing once the pre-taxi checklist is completed and the signal is verified.
On the day of the accident, the towbar being used was different from the standard equipment. Due to seized pins, the disconnection process took longer than usual, requiring two personnel to work on the bar. The investigation also looked into the crew's actions and the cockpit environment during the clearance process.
Findings
- The crew initiated taxiing before the pre-taxi checklist was finished.
- The pilot began the taxi maneuver without waiting for the completion of the checklist or the visual confirmation of the mechanic's thumbs-up signal.
- The pilot believed the area under the aircraft was clear because the towbar disconnection had taken longer than usual, leading to an assumption that the ground crew had already departed.
- The receipt of taxi clearance from ground control may have contributed to the pilot's belief that the area was safe.
- Pressure to reduce a one-hour flight delay, combined with the fact that this was the commander's final flight before retirement, likely contributed to the rushed execution of procedures.