What happened
On February 26, 1995, an Air France Airbus A340-300, registration F-GLZB, landed at Recife Airport (SBRF) following a flight from Paris. After landing on runway 18, the crew exited the runway via taxiway Charlie. Due to the large wingspan of the A340-300 and the specific maneuvering required to enter taxiway Mike, the aircraft's path brought its right wing into close proximity with the vertical stabilizer of a parked Embraer 120 Brasília, registration PT-OQI.
The collision occurred while the F-GLZB was taxiing. The impact caused significant damage to the PT-OQI, including structural damage to the vertical stabilizer, spars, ribs, and skin, as well as damage to the rudder and horizontal stabilizer. The F-GLSB sustained minor damage to its leading edge. There were no injuries to the 13 crew members or 214 passengers on the Airbus, and no third-party injuries were reported.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the ground operations and parking configurations at the time of the accident. The investigation established that the airport administration had implemented a policy of "maximum ramp utilization," which involved parking two aircraft in a single parking bay (Box 1) by positioning them one behind the other.
At the time, the operator Nordeste Linhas Aéreas primarily used smaller EMB-110 Bandeirante aircraft, which allowed this tandem parking to proceed without interference. However, the arrival of the larger PT-OQI changed the safety margins. The investigation found that the airport administration had not conducted any formal studies, measurements, or new ground markings to determine if larger aircraft could safely navigate around this tandem parking arrangement. Furthermore, the airport's organizational structure, which saw a single individual managing operations for multiple regional airports, resulted in a lack of dedicated oversight for specific ramp safety needs.