What happened
On July 14, 2017, at 13:50 local time, a Qatar Airways Airbus A340-600, registration A7-AGC, was taxiing toward parking position 270 at Barcelona El Prat Airport following a flight from Doha. While the aircraft was proceeding along taxiway TWY Q7, the number 1 engine made contact with a ground service vehicle.
The vehicle, an Iberia service van used for placing cones and chocks, was traveling through service road VS430. The driver, attempting to reach a different parking stand, entered service road VS405 and encountered the taxiing aircraft. The driver attempted to reverse the vehicle to avoid the collision but was unable to do so in time, resulting in the engine cowling striking the van.
There were no injuries among the 297 people on board the aircraft or the driver of the vehicle. The aircraft sustained damage to the lower left side of the number 1 engine cowling, which required the aircraft to remain grounded for repairs. The service vehicle suffered damage to its windshield, roof, and front right door.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed airport security camera footage, which provided a precise timeline of the event. The footage showed the service vehicle traveling parallel to the aircraft and initiating a right turn into service road VS405. The investigation established that the vehicle failed to stop at the horizontal pavement markings located on service road VS430, which mandate a stop to check for crossing aircraft.
The driver had been instructed to move from stand 400 to stand 420. Because the driver was unfamiliar with the exact location of the destination, they attempted to navigate via stand 410, found no direct connection, and decided to use service road VS405. The investigation found that the driver had sufficient time to comply with the stop markings but proceeded without stopping.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure to respect the horizontal stop markings on service road VS430.
- The service vehicle entered taxiway TWY Q7, traveling approximately 21.6 meters past the stop line before the collision occurred.
- The driver was navigating toward a new assignment and attempted to use an alternative route due to unfamiliarity with the terminal area layout.
- The driver had a valid airside driving permit and had completed required operational safety and ramp training, though they had been in their current role for less than one month.