Air carrier Technician reported while positioning aircraft into the gate during tow; the aircraft #1 engine contacted a vehicle causing damage.
Synopsis
Air carrier Technician reported while positioning aircraft into the gate during tow; the aircraft #1 engine contacted a vehicle causing damage.
Narrative
On the day of the event; I was assigned to Terminal Safety on the move crew. Aircraft X was being towed to Gate XX. I was not the pickup truck driver. Our team parked the pickup truck used for crew transportation in what was believed to be outside the sterile area.I was assigned responsibility for the left wing. As the aircraft approached; I signaled the location of the lead-in line and then repositioned myself to the left wing. I maintained continuous visual awareness of the left wingtip and the tail; as the tail was still positioned in the roadway.When the aircraft stopped to allow the marshaller to dismount the vehicle; I observed that the pickup truck appeared to be too close to the #1 engine. I immediately attempted to activate the TTWS (Tow Team Warning System) by pressing the wand buttons. When no response occurred; I ran toward the front of the aircraft while continuing to signal STOP and repeatedly attempting to activate the TTWS. Due to my position and distance; I was unable to get the tug driver's attention in time.Despite these actions; I was too far from the aircraft to prevent the collision between the aircraft and the pickup truck.I believe the damage resulted from inconsistent sterile area markings at Gate XX. The narrow-body and wide-body markings are not clearly differentiated; unlike at other gates such as Gate: XY; XZ; and XA; which contributed to the chain of events leading to the accident. Additionally; the TTWS did not function; further contributing to the incident. The company has been notified multiple times of ongoing TTWS issues; and corrective action has not yet been completed.Cause: Sterile area markings are confusing and inconsistent they don't really differentiate narrow body or wide body compared to other gates like XA; XZ and XY also the TTWS system failed to go off which would've prevented the accident from happening. Suggestions: ZZZ operations has to correct sterile area markings and TTWS issues need to be fixed immediately that's our only line of defense against these types of accidents.
Second reporter narrative
I was driving the supertug with Aircraft X on the wide body. I turned the tug towards gate XX and saw one aircraft left wing walker on the lead in line and marshalled to it. I started my way to gate XX wide body line after the left-wing walker walked back to his post on aircraft left side. I continued to drive in XX gate area to what appeared as a clear sterile area with Aircraft X on the 'hook.' I stopped (approx. 20-30 feet) short of the designated parking lead in line to let out my parking marshaller out. He first went to the wrong lead in-line and I corrected him to the right parking line. Once he was at the right line I look at both wing walkers and saw the wands still up and OK to continue parking and proceed slowly forward to the designated spot. My eyes were on the designated parking marshaller and he was giving me a count down of '5...4....3.... then STOP STOP STOP.' I stopped as quick as I could. THE TTWS (Tow Team Warning System) did not go off and the light wasn't on. I looked at aircraft left wing and saw the truck was really close to the engine inlet. Then left side wing walker confirmed aircraft damage was there. We then notified our crew lead and management about Aircraft X damage. Cause: Aircraft X was damaged by multiple sterile area lines where a truck was parked outside of the narrow body sterile area but not out of a wide body sterile area. Also TTWS did not go off.Suggestions: Better sterile designated areas marked for narrow and wide bodies. TTWS failed to go off. Need to switch to wireless communications while parking instead of the TTWS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.