BOTH ACFT DAMAGED WHEN A TAXIING B747 HAS A WINGTIP STRIKE AGAINST A PARKED B757. NIGHT OP.
Synopsis
BOTH ACFT DAMAGED WHEN A TAXIING B747 HAS A WINGTIP STRIKE AGAINST A PARKED B757. NIGHT OP.
Narrative
DURING TAXI INTO THE RAMP; THE COMPANY RAMP CTL INFORMED US TO HOLD IN THE THROAT TO WAIT FOR MARSHALLERS TO ARRIVE. 2 MARSHALLERS SHOWED UP 5 MINS LATER IN THE POS INDICATED ON THE BACK OF THIS PAGE. ALL EQUIP AND ACFT (PLUS OTHER VEHICLES) MUST BE BEHIND THE WHITE SAFETY LINES. ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY; ALL ACFT THAT TAXI ON THE TXWY CTRLINE WILL BE GUARANTEED ADEQUATE WINGTIP CLRNC. THE TAIL OF A B757 APPEARED TO BE BEHIND THE VERT 'PLANE' OF THE WHITE 'SAFETY' LINE. THERE WAS A RED CONE UNDERNEATH THE TAIL OF THE B757 TO INDICATE THAT IT WAS CLR. THE B747 WAS DEAD-ON THE CTRLINE. MARSHALLER #1 SIGNALLED TO START THE TURN. I WAS WATCHING THE R WINGTIP THROUGHOUT THE TURN. IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE CLR. I STOPPED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY WHEN I FELT A BUMP AND SAW PIECES COMING FROM BOTH AIRPLANES. THE R WINGTIP STRUCK THE HORIZ STABILIZER OF THE B757; TEARING OFF THE L ELEVATOR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NIGHT; WEEKEND OPS; LACK OF ADEQUATE MARSHALLERS AND NO WINGTIP WALKERS; B747 BODY GEAR STEERING HAD UNLOCKED (NORMAL) INCREASING WINGTIP RADIUS IN TURN; FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY WITH THE B757 BEHIND THE WHITE LINE. ADEQUATE CLRNC DURING STRAIGHT TAXI; BUT NOT DURING TURN. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD HAVE CLRNC DURING ANY TAXI MANEUVERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 312185: A PARKED B757 ON R SIDE APPEARED TO BE SOMEWHAT CLOSE TO ITS ALLOWED BOUNDARY; AND CAPT QUERIED FO WHETHER CLRNC EXISTED TO GET BY. ANSWER WAS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. NO WINGWALKER ON R SIDE. SIGNAL GIVEN ABEAM OF B757 TO TURN L TO START PARKING. CONTACT FELT; BRAKES APPLIED; ACFT STOPPED AND SECURED. VOICE RECORDER CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED. COMPANY HAS CONCLUDED THAT POOR HANDLING BY MARSHALLERS; AND SUBSTANDARD PARKING PRACTICES BY MAINT TUG DRIVERS WAS THE PROB. NO CULPABILITY BY FLC FOUND.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.