WINGTIP STRIKE. A DC9 CAPT IN TRAINING ALLOWS HIS TAXIING ACFT TO HIT A TRAILER PARKED OFF THE L WINGTIP DURING A RAMP DEP PROC AT ORF; VA.
Synopsis
WINGTIP STRIKE. A DC9 CAPT IN TRAINING ALLOWS HIS TAXIING ACFT TO HIT A TRAILER PARKED OFF THE L WINGTIP DURING A RAMP DEP PROC AT ORF; VA.
Narrative
AFTER PARKING AT THE CARGO RAMP IN ORF; A SEMI-TRAILER WAS PARKED NEAR OUR DC9 (SERIES 15). IT WAS DECIDED BY THE CREW THAT THE ACFT COULD TAXI PAST THE SEMI-TRAILER. WE HAD OUR CARGO LOAD MASTER/MARSHALLER AS A WING WALKER TO WATCH THE L WINGTIP (WHILE BOTH WINDOWS WERE OPEN AND THE WING WALKER WAS VISIBLE TO THE PLT TAXIING THE PLANE IN THE L SEAT. I IN PIC IOE UPGRADE TRAINING WAS IN THE L SEAT AND CAPT/CHK AIRMAN WAS IN THE R SEAT; AND LOAD MASTER WAS OUTSIDE THE PLANE WATCHING THE L WING. AS WE STARTED MOVING; THE L WINGTIP CONTACTED THE SEMI-TRAILER BEFORE WE COULD STOP THE ACFT. HENCE; THE L POS LIGHT LENS WAS CRACKED AND THE FRONT CORNER OF THE L WINGTIP WAS SCRAPED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: UNNECESSARY OBSTACLES PLACED PERMANENTLY ON THE RAMP WHERE ONLY THE PLANES SHOULD BE; AND UNATTENDED OBSTACLES UNABLE TO BE MOVED IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE SIT WAS DISCUSSED BY ALL CREW MEMBERS -- AND WAS CONSIDERED TO BE COMPLETELY SAFE. AFTER THE CARGO WAS UNLOADED AND THE CREW WAS READY TO DEPART; THERE WAS NOT ANY TRACTOR AVAILABLE TO MOVE THE TRAILER. ALL CREW MEMBERS DISCUSSED/PRE-BRIEFED THAT THE OP COULD BE SAFELY ACCOMPLISHED; AND THE DISTANCE AND TURN RADIUS OF THE ACFT WERE DEEMED ADEQUATE BY THE CREW. DURING THE R TURN; THE CREW HAD TO SIMULTANEOUSLY WATCH BOTH THE FRONT OF THE ACFT AS WELL AS THE R SIDE AREA OF THE RAMP (BECAUSE OF PARKED CONTAINERS). HOWEVER; THE CLOSURE RATE/MOMENTUM EXCEEDED WHAT THE WING-WALKER HAD ANTICIPATED; AND EVERYTHING OCCURRED SIMULTANEOUSLY (THE WING-WALKER COMMANDED THE CREW TO STOP; BRAKE APPLICATION WAS APPLIED; BUT THE MOMENTUM OF THE ACFT CAUSED THE WINGTIP TO STRIKE THE PARKED SEMI-TRAILER BEFORE HUMAN REACTION COULD OCCUR. TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN; IT WAS DISCUSSED BY MGMNT AND THE CREW THAT IF THERE IS EVER ANY DOUBT OF THE SAFE MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT; WE MUST ERR ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OF CAUTION UNTIL ALL PROBS ARE CORRECTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 518951: FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE: CREW WAS CALLED FOR DUTY AT XA45 FOR THE TRIP TO CLEVELAND; OH; FROM DETROIT; MI; AND CONTINUE ON THE NORFOLK; VA; AND RETURN TO DETROIT MI; THE OCCURRENCE OF THE WINGTIP STRIKE WAS AT XF24. BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.