1993-09 · NASA ASRS report 250958
FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT COLLIDED WITH A GND LOADING VEHICLE DURING TAXI FROM GATE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WING TIP.
PUSHED OFF GATE X; SET BRAKES AND STARTED THE L ENG. I THEN CALLED RAMP TWR FOR TAXI CLRNC AND WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO SPOT 1 INDIA. THE CAPT VISUALLY CLRED THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND ASKED ME 'CLR RIGHT?' AT THAT TIME I LOOKED OUT THE R WINDOW AND RESPONDED 'CLR RIGHT' AS THERE WAS NO GND EQUIP NEAR THE ACFT AT THAT TIME. TAXI WAS INITIATED AT A SLOW SPD DUE TO THE USUALLY CONGESTED AREA. AS THE ACFT APCHED SPOT 1 INDIA; A SMALL TUG PULLING A BAGGAGE CART CAME INTO VIEW OFF THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND THE DRIVER WAS MOTIONING FOR US TO HOLD POS. WE ASSUMED THEY WANTED TO LOAD MORE BAGS AND WE STOPPED AT SPOT 1 INDIA. THE BAGGAGE CART DRIVER DID NOT IMMEDIATELY APCH THE ACFT AND AFTER SOME DELAY I MOTIONED FOR HIM TO COME TO THE FO WINDOW. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN CONTACT BTWN A CONTAINER LOADER AND THE R WING OF THE ACFT. GATE WAS TO OUR L AND VACANT. RAMP CLRED US INTO GATE Y TO ALLOW FURTHER INVESTIGATION. AT NO TIME DID THE CAPT OR MYSELF SEE ANY GND EQUIP THAT APPEARED TO BE IN THE 'COMFORT ZONE' AROUND THE ACFT THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR NORMAL CAUTIOUS TAXI. WE DID NOT FEEL ANY IMPACT FROM CONTACTING THE CONTAINER LOADER. CONSIDERING IT WAS STEEL VERSUS ALUMINUM; THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS LIGHT (ALTHOUGH EXPENSIVE) AND I BELIEVE IT INDICATES THAT BOTH VEHICLES WERE MOVING AT VERY SLOW SPD. AFTER BRIEFLY INSPECTING THE CONTAINER LOADER I DID FIND IT CURIOUS THAT THE SINGLE POINT OF IMPACT THAT I COULD SEE WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THE VEHICLES CAME TOGETHER FROM THE SIDE RATHER THAN THE ACFT OVERTAKING THE LOADER FROM THE REAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 251205: THE WING TIPS ARE BLIND SPOTS ON MLG ACFT AND NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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