What happened
On the night of July 25, 2018, at Burgas Airport in Bulgaria, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration LZ-LDW, was positioned at aircraft stand 14 preparing for a scheduled charter flight to Berlin. The aircraft was loaded with 155 passengers and 6 crew members.
During the final stages of ground services, an apron bus used for transporting passengers from the terminal to the aircraft was maneuvering to depart the stand. While making a turn around the aircraft, the bus made contact with the right wingtip of the MD-8able. The collision caused various forms of damage to the aircraft, including a deformed wingtip web, broken landing lights, and damage to several external lights and fairings. The impact also caused structural deformation to the doors and windows of the apron bus. Due to the extent of the damage, the flight could not proceed as planned, and passengers were returned to the terminal.
The investigation
The investigation examined security camera footage, which revealed that the bus driver initiated a right turn on the left side of the aircraft and proceeded behind the tail section. The bus then made a left turn, which brought the side of the vehicle into contact with the aircraft's right wing.
Investigators reviewed the credentials and training history of the bus driver. It was established that the driver had only been performing independent duties at the airport for 45 days, having completed initial practical training in early June 2018. The investigation also confirmed that the meteorological conditions and lighting at the time of the event did not contribute to the incident, and the driver was not under the influence of alcohol.