What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2006-02-10 involved a ATR 72, registration OK-XFB, at LKPR, CZ.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The collision was caused by the de-icing vehicle driver reversing into the adjacent stand without verifying that the space was clear, compounded by inadequate procedures for managing simultaneous de-icing operations at stands 38A and 38B.

De-icing vehicle collides with ATR 72 wing at Prague Ruzyně

A de-icing vehicle reversing at Prague Ruzyně airport struck the wing of a parked ATR 72, causing structural damage to the right winglet.

What happened

On February 10, 2006, at 17:38 UTC, an ATR 72-200, registration OK-XFB, operated by ČSA, was positioned at stand 38B at Prague - Ruzyně Airport for de-icing. The crew had requested a specific positioning via taxiway H to face into the wind due to strong northwesterly winds. While the aircraft was stationary, a de-icing vehicle was performing operations on the adjacent stand, 3/8A, servicing a Dash 8-300.

During the de-icing process of the Dash 8, the de-icing vehicle began reversing away from its target aircraft. In the process, the upper edge of the vehicle's rear ramp struck the right winglet and corner relief of the OK-XFB. The impact was significant enough that the crew felt a jolt and observed the vehicle in the vicinity of the wing. Because the number two engine was still running in 'hotel' mode, the commander declared a 'MAYDAY' and an emergency ground engine fire check was performed. After the airport fire service (ZPS) inspected the aircraft and confirmed there was no fuel leak, the emergency evacuation was canceled, and passengers were disembarked via bus.

The investigation

The ÚZPLN investigation established that the aircraft was not positioned correctly according to the designated stop bar, sitting approximately 13 meters short of the mark. The investigation also noted that the boundary between stands 38A and 38B was not physically marked, and the presence of snow and de-icing fluid on the apron made visual orientation difficult. The driver of the de-icing vehicle stated that due to the vehicle's position and the difficulty of monitoring the area behind the vehicle in the lighting conditions, they failed to notice the ATR 72-200 had arrived at the neighboring stand.

Findings

The primary cause of the incident was the insufficient caution of the de-icing vehicle driver, who reversed into the adjacent stand without ensuring the area was clear.
The organizational procedures for using stands 38A and 38B simultaneously were inadequate regarding both safety and capacity management.
The positioning of the ATR 72-200 did not comply with the required stop bar markings.
The lack of a visible boundary between the two de-icing stands contributed to the lack of situational awareness.
There were no injuries to the 40 passengers or the crew.