What happened
On August 28, 2003, at Catania Airport, a ground collision occurred between two commercial aircraft. The MD-82, registration I-DATI, was parked at stand A 5. During taxiing operations, an Airbus A330, registration D-AERF, following a "follow me" vehicle, struck the tail fin of the stationary aircraft. The collision resulted in damage to the rudder of the MD-82, though there were no injuries to the 159 persons on board the MD-82 or the 142 persons on board the A330.
The investigation
The investigation established that both aircraft were positioned correctly according to ground markings; the MD-82 was properly parked at its assigned stand, and the A330 was following the prescribed taxiway centerline. However, measurements revealed that the distance between the aircraft was approximately 80 meters. Given the 45-meter length of the MD-82 and the 60.30-meter wingspan of the A330, this distance was insufficient to maintain safe separation.
At the time, Catania Airport was operating under a 4E reference code, which requires a minimum separation of 7.5 meters between aircraft. The investigation found that the airport's dimensions and taxiway configurations were incompatible with the physical dimensions of aircraft categorized under code 4E.
Findings
- The primary cause was the incorrect assignment of the airport reference code (4E), which permitted the operation of large aircraft whose dimensions were incompatible with the existing taxiway and apron infrastructure.
- A contributing factor was the crew of the A330 failing to optimally assess the separation distance from ground obstacles.