What happened
On June 12, 2021, at 15:00 UTC, an incident occurred involving two aircraft during ground maneuvering. A McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (registration YV2945), owned by Laser Airlines, was being moved on the ground by personnel from the specialized airport services company Aeroservicios Gleco 904, C.A. During this movement, the aircraft struck the horizontal stabilizer of another McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (registration YV2957) owned by Aeropostal.
At the time of the event, both aircraft were in a non-airworthy condition and were undergoing maintenance services. The collision resulted in structural damage to both airframes; however, no injuries were reported among the maintenance technicians present during the maneuver.
The investigation
The JIAAC investigation included a photographic survey of the aircraft to evaluate physical damage, a review of maintenance logs, and interviews with the personnel involved in the towing operation. The authorities also verified the training documentation and certifications of the service provider's staff. The investigation noted that the maneuvering area featured cracked asphalt and lacked visible pavement markings.
Findings
The investigation determined that the human factor was the probable cause, specifically due to inadequate procedures used by the Aeroservicios Gleco 904 personnel, who failed to employ proper communication methods during the maneuver.
Contributing factors included:
- A lack of adequate communication equipment.
- The absence of specific procedures for maneuvering in confined areas.
- High density of parked aircraft in the vicinity of the hangars.
- Poorly marked parking zones and degraded asphalt surfaces in the maneuvering area.