Incident Overview
On 18 November 2010 at 1445 hrs, a Fokker 100 aircraft, registration D-AFKC, was involved in a ground incident at London Heathrow Airport. The aircraft, manufactured in 1996 and powered by two Rolls Royce Tay 650-15 turbofan engines, was scheduled for a commercial passenger flight from Terminal 1 to Stuttgart, Germany. There were 4 crew members and 35 passengers on board; no injuries were reported. The incident resulted in a small perforation of the aircraft's nosecone.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft was parked on Stand 141 at Terminal 1. Due to the configuration of stands and taxiways in the Kilo cul-de-sac, a pushback followed by a forward tow onto a curved taxiway was required. Pushback was contracted to a ground handling company, which assigned a tractor driver and a headset operator. The driver selected what he believed was a Fokker 100-type towbar, connected it to the aircraft, and with the assistance of the headset operator, attached the opposite end to the tractor. The tractor faced the aircraft, so forward movement reversed the aircraft. The tractor operated in four-wheel steer mode.
The driver pushed the aircraft back into the taxiway at a shallow angle without incident, stopped, then towed forward toward the release position. During the forward tow, a sharper turn was needed. As the angle increased, the separation between the right front corner of the tractor and the left side of the aircraft nose decreased. The headset operator noticed the closing proximity and called for a halt. The driver stopped as quickly as possible, but the tractor contacted the aircraft nosecone, causing a 12-inch L-shaped indentation that pierced the skin. The weather radar, housed in the nosecone, suffered a 1 cm dent but was cleared after electrical testing. The nosecone was replaced, and the aircraft flew the following day.
Investigation and Findings
The ground handling company's Safety Training & Standards Manager investigated. The investigation reported that the contact was caused by use of an Avro RJ-compatible towbar, which is 55 cm shorter than the Fokker 100 towbar. The Fokker 100 towbars were clearly marked, while the Avro RJ towbars had only very small lettering on a side plate. The investigation noted that the size of the labelling on the Avro RJ towbar was a contributory factor, as was the similarity in design of the two towbars and the driver's recognition of the type he had previously used on Fokker 100 aircraft.
Safety Actions
Following the incident, the ground handling company issued a Safety Alert to all staff. All unmarked towbars were taken out of service until clearly marked with compatible aircraft types. The internal investigation recommended that future towbars be clearly marked in bold letters showing the certified aircraft type, that in-service towbars be periodically checked for clear markings, and that the service check by the towbar maintenance provider include a check for clear markings.