What happened
On 16 January 2012, at approximately 0700 UTC, two DHC-8-402 Dash 8 aircraft were involved in a ground collision at Southampton International Airport. The first aircraft, G-ECOO, had recently completed a non-standard pushback from Stand 9 and was stationary on Taxiway Alpha. Shortly thereafter, the second aircraft, G-JEDO, was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) for a standard pushback from Stand 6, with instructions to face south and taxi via Holding Point Bravo One.
During the pushback of G-JEDO, the tug driver commenced the maneuver after receiving signals from the headset operative. As the aircraft was being pushed, the tug driver lost sight of the stationary G-ECOO due to the position of the turn. As the pushback neared completion, the tug driver encountered resistance and requested the crew to apply brakes. During the process of straightening the aircraft, the tail section of G-JEDO struck the tail cone of the stationary G-ECOO.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the actions of the ground crew, the ATC instructions, and the movement of both aircraft. The investigation established that the headset operative was aware of the presence of G-ECOO but did not communicate its position to the pilots. Furthermore, the wingman, whose role was to stop following traffic, had departed the area before the collision occurred. The tug driver admitted that while he had seen G-ECOCO prior to the movement, he did not actively monitor its relative position during the pushback, as he believed there was sufficient clearance.
Findings
- The collision was caused by the ground crew's failure to maintain situational awareness and communicate the position of the stationary aircraft.
- The headset operative failed to relay information regarding the proximity of G-ECOO to the pilots.
- The tug driver did not monitor the relative position of the stationary aircraft during the maneuver.
- The wingman had vacated the area prior to the completion of the pushback.
- G-JEDO sustained damage to its right elevator, while G-ECOO sustained damage to its tail cone.
- There were no injuries to the crew or passengers on either aircraft.