What happened
On 24 March 2011, a Dassault Aviation Falcon 7X, registration N312P, landed at Oxford (Kidlington) Airport following a flight from Chicago Midway Airport, USA. After landing on Runway 19 at 0802 hrs, the crew followed air traffic control instructions to taxi via Taxiway A toward the parking area. During the taxi, air traffic control notified the crew that they appeared to have struck a parked aircraft.
None of the four occupants on board the N312P felt any impact, and the aircraft continued to its parking spot before the commander performed a visual inspection. While paint markings were visible on the left winglet, no structural damage was found on the large jet. The aircraft departed for Paris le Bourget later that morning. However, the parked Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration G-BGFT, sustained rudder damage that was deemed beyond repair.
The investigation
The investigation established that the G-BGFT was not parked within its designated stand; its tail was positioned approximately 1.2 metres closer to the taxiway than the adjacent aircraft. At the time of the incident, the width of Taxiway A was insufficient to safely accommodate aircraft with the wingspan of the Falcon 7X.
While an apron reconfiguration programme was planned to widen the taxiway strip by moving light aircraft stands further west, this work had not yet commenced. Furthermore, the crew's aeronautical charts provided a warning for aircraft with wingspans exceeding 49 ft when using Taxiway B, but no such caution was present for Taxiway A. Although air traffic control had the authority to request a visual check by the airfield rescue and firefighting service, this was not utilized during the event.
Findings
- The Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II was incorrectly parked closer to the taxiway than required.
- The width of Taxiway A was inadequate for the wingspan of the Dassault Aviation Falcon 7X.
- The scheduled apron reconfiguration to increase the taxiway strip had not yet begun.
- There was no specific warning in the crew's charts regarding wingspan limitations for Taxiway A.
Safety action
Following the accident, Oxford Airport implemented several interim measures, including issuing notices to flight instructors regarding correct parking procedures and requiring all large aircraft to be routed via Taxiway B. The planned apron reconfiguration was also accelerated and completed in May 2011.