Incident Overview
On 20 August 2021, at approximately 16:10 UTC, an Air Europa Boeing 737-800, registration EC-MUZ, landed on runway 18L at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport after a flight from Palma de Mallorca. The aircraft then taxied via taxiway M. Meanwhile, a maintenance worker from Thyssenkrupp Airport Systems parked a van in front of aircraft parking position 578 adjacent to Terminal T4S. According to the worker's statement and a subsequent vehicle inspection, he forgot to engage the parking brake after exiting the van at 16:06:45. The worker began working on a jet bridge panel about 5 meters away, with his back to the vehicle. He stated the task was not urgent and he did not have an excessive workload that day.
At 16:10:00, the van began moving without a driver, initially very slowly but gradually increasing speed. It crossed an adjacent parking position, two taxiways, and another parking position before entering taxiway M27, where the aircraft was taxiing. This occurred at 16:12:56. The worker realized the van was moving when it had already crossed the first taxiway; instead of chasing it, he called the Airport Management Center.
The flight crew noticed the van shortly before it entered the taxiway and saw that it had no driver. The pilot attempted to avoid the van by turning left, but the van struck the number 2 engine nacelle and thrust reverser at 16:13:08. The van crossed the taxiway and stopped on an adjacent grassy area. The crew informed the control tower of the incident and continued taxiing to their designated parking stand.
Injuries
No injuries were reported. The aircraft carried 6 crew members and 187 passengers, all uninjured.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage to the number 2 engine nacelle. The van suffered damage to the right side of the hood and the right headlamp.
Personnel
The captain was 57 years old, held an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) issued in May 2001 by the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), and was type-rated on the Boeing 737.
Cause
The investigation determined that the cause of the incident was the driver of the van not adhering to apron safety regulations by failing to engage the parking brake after leaving the vehicle.
Safety Recommendation
The investigation issued a safety recommendation addressed to AENA, the airport operator.