A320, London Heathrow UK, 2006
A320, London Heathrow UK, 2006
Summary
On 26 June 2006, after an uneventful pre-flight pushback of a British Airways Airbus A320-200 at London Heathrow Airport, the aircraft started moving under its own power and, shortly afterwards, collided with the tractor that had just performed the pushback, damaging both the right engine and the tractor.
Event Details
When
26/06/2006
Day/Night
Day
Flight Conditions
On Ground - Normal Visibility
Flight Details
Aircraft
Operator
Type of Flight
Public Transport (Passenger)
Flight Origin
Intended Destination
Take-off Commenced
No
Flight Airborne
No
Flight Completed
No
Phase of Flight
Taxi
Location
Location - Airport
Airport
HF
Tag(s)
Distraction,
Ineffective Monitoring,
Flight Crew / Ground Crew Co-operation,
Procedural non compliance
GND
Tag(s)
Taxiway collision,
Aircraft / Vehicle conflict
Outcome
Damage or injury
Yes
Aircraft damage
Minor
Non-aircraft damage
Yes
Non-occupant Casualties
No
Off Airport Landing
No
Ditching
No
Causal Factor Group(s)
Group(s)
Aircraft Operation
Airport Operation
Safety Recommendation(s)
Group(s)
None Made
Investigation Type
Type
Independent
Description
On 26 June 2006, after an uneventful pre flight pushback of a British Airways Airbus A320-200 at London Heathrow Airport using a towbarless tractor, that unit was disconnected from the aircraft. After receiving taxi clearance from ATC, the aircraft started moving under its own power and, shortly afterwards, collided with the tractor that had just performed the pushback, damaging both the right engine and the tractor. The headset operator had given the ‘all clear’ signal to the flight crew before the tractor had been repositioned to a safe distance from the aircraft. The co-pilot did not see the tractor and a defect was found to have prevented the tractor from being driven away before the aircraft began to taxi.
Investigation Findings
An Annex 13 Serious Incident Investigation was carried out by the UK AAIB and their Report was published in May 2007. It was concluded that “The primary causal factor of the accident was the headset operator giving the ‘all clear’ signal to the flight crew before the tractor had been repositioned to a safe distance from the aircraft. Contributory factors were the co-pilot failing to see the tractor and a defect which prevented the tractor from being driven away once the aircraft had begun to taxi. In the light of safety actions taken by the aircraft operator, no AAIB Safety Recommendations were deemed necessary.
Related Articles
Further Reading
- For further information see the full UK AAIB Report
