What happened
On the early morning of April 20, 2010, an Antonov 124-100, registration UR-82029, arrived at Zaragoza Airport from Gostomel, Ukraine, for a scheduled cargo operation. After landing on runway 30R without incident, the aircraft followed a follow-me car via taxiway TA and C2-2 toward the parking apron.
Because the aircraft's dimensions exceeded the available parking capacity, it was assigned to stands O and N, which were originally designed for much smaller aircraft, such as the A300 or B727. As the aircraft reached the apron, a marshaller exited the vehicle to provide guidance. During the maneuvering process, the left wingtip of the Antonov 124-100 struck the number 6 light tower. The aircraft continued forward, striking a second light tower (number 7), which damaged the navigation light on the wingtip. There were no injuries to the 16 crew members on board, though the aircraft sustained minor damage and the lighting tower was damaged.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation focused on the suitability of the assigned parking area and the effectiveness of the marshalling process. Investigators noted that the aircraft's wingspan of 73.3 meters is significantly larger than the B747-400, for which the nearby stands were designed. The investigation examined the lack of horizontal centerline markings at the assigned stands and the visibility conditions during the nighttime operation. The investigation also reviewed the cockpit voice recorder, which captured an engineer's warning of the impending collision.
Findings
- The assigned parking stands (O and N) were too small for the aircraft's dimensions and lacked appropriate guidance markings.
- The primary cause was the attempt to park an aircraft at an assigned stand that was unsuitable for its dimensions and lacked proper guidance markings.
- The use of a single marshaller made it difficult to accurately estimate the clearance between the wingtip and fixed obstacles.
- The crew's position in the cockpit prevented them from perceiving the lateral distance between the wingtips and the light towers.
- Nighttime operations and the extended shift of the marshaller may have contributed to reduced situational awareness.