Summary
On Sunday, 28 October 2007, at 09:05 local time, a passenger bus (COBUS 3000) impacted the right wing tip of a parked McDonnell Douglas 717-200, registration EC-HUZ, at gate 90 of Module D at Palma de Mallorca Airport. The aircraft was operated by Aebal on behalf of Spanair, preparing for a flight to Barcelona. The bus was empty, returning to pick up more passengers from remote gate 91, when the collision occurred during a turning maneuver between two aircraft.
Aircraft and Bus Information
The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas 717-200 (EC-HUZ) powered by two Rolls-Royce BR700-715 engines. The bus, model COBUS 3000 (identification R-0576), was operated by Acciona handling services. Its technical inspection certificate was valid at the time of the accident. The bus driver, aged 38, held a valid Platform Driving Permit (PCP) issued by AENA since April 2007 and had received initial training in April, a risk prevention course in May, and a bus-specific course in June.
Sequence of Events
The bus had already completed one trip from gate 91 to remote stand 157 and was returning empty to collect more passengers. To change direction, the driver intended to loop around at adjacent stand 88. However, an MD-88 aircraft was arriving at stand 88, so the bus waited until the MD-88 stopped and its anti-collision lights were turned off. The bus then resumed movement, passing behind the MD-88 to proceed between that aircraft and the parked EC-HUZ. During this maneuver, the bus struck the right wing tip of EC-HUZ.
According to the driver's statement, he had his right window open and felt hot exhaust air from the MD-88's engines, which caused discomfort. He turned his head to the left and was dazzled by the low sun. Moments later, he felt an impact without realizing what had happened. He reported traveling at about 20 km/h with no lights on and did not brake. No skid marks were found on the ground. The driver stated that since construction work had begun in the area (closure of one service road and conversion to two-way traffic), it had become common practice to perform the turning maneuver at stand 88.
Injuries and Damage
On board the aircraft were approximately 50 passengers, three cabin crew members, the pilot, and the copilot. The bus was occupied only by the driver. As a result of the impact, the aircraft shifted, causing minor injuries to the three cabin crew members and one passenger. The bus driver was uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage: the right wing tip detached, compressed, and bent toward the leading edge and fuselage. The bus suffered damage to the upper left part of its windshield and the surrounding frame, which became detached.
Circumstances
At the time of the accident, daylight conditions prevailed with a low sun position due to the recent time change. Module D of the airport was under construction, which had altered the traffic flow. Previously, there were two separate service roads with two lanes each. Due to construction, one road was closed, and the remaining road was used for two-way traffic. AENA notified handling operators via email on 10 October 2007, stating that the road between gates D89 and D99 would become two-way, but no diagram was provided. Acciona passed this information to personnel without any diagram. After the accident, on 1 November 2007, the operator issued a note specifying that direction changes should be made only at P6 (near stand 82) or P5 (further in Module B), and prohibited driving through aircraft parking areas (ERA).