Incident
On 13 November 2003 at 14:30 h, an Airbus A340-313, registration EC-HDQ, operated by Iberia, landed at Madrid-Barajas Airport. It was assigned parking stand 74 on the south pier and instructed to access via taxiway A-5. A follow-me vehicle guided the aircraft; the vehicle contained an instructor, a trainee signaler, and three additional trainees in a familiarization phase. The instructor misunderstood the parking stand as 84 and directed the A340 via taxiway C-2. While taxiing on C-2, the right wingtip of the A340 struck the tail of a parked MD-88, registration EC-GAT, which was parked at stand 81.
After the impact, the signaler, with assistance, realized the A340 could not pass on C-2 and stopped the aircraft between stands 83 and 93. Instead of halting and disembarking passengers, they opted to taxi the A340 through empty stands in the 80s row toward taxiway C-3.
Damage
The MD-88 sustained a rupture of the tail rudder in the upper third. The A340 was undamaged.
Investigation Conclusions
The investigation determined that the follow-me driver misheard the assigned parking stand number (84 instead of 74), an error likely facilitated by the proximity of the next flight's stand assignment (84) and by the driver's failure to note the aircraft type. The presence of four trainees in the follow-me vehicle may have diverted the instructor's attention, reducing his ability to perform the guidance service effectively.
Taxiway C-2 and stand 84 were not suitable for large aircraft such as the A-340. The low occupancy of adjacent stands may have contributed to a false perception of greater taxiway width. Additionally, horizontal markings indicating the correct path to stand 74 (via taxiway C-4) were present but apparently went unnoticed by the A340 crew, who relied entirely on the follow-me guidance.
The company's operational procedures state that when in doubt about obstacle clearance, the commander should request the signaler to measure distances and, if uncertainty persists, personally verify. However, the crew stated they simply followed the follow-me vehicle without further verification.
Probable Cause
The follow-me driver mistook the parking stand number, confusing the numbers of two consecutive flights, and directed the A340 via taxiway C-2, which was unsuitable for the aircraft. The driver's attention may have been diminished due to the presence of trainees in the vehicle. The A340 crew, relying on the guidance service, may have relaxed their monitoring of the taxi path.