Lessons Learned: Lack of Situation Awareness, Commercial Flight
While being pushed back by a tug at London Stansted Airport, an aircraft’s tail struck the blast fence at the end of the taxiway due, in part, to a lack of situation awareness.
The absence of situation awareness and other factors caused extensive damage to the rear of the aircraft, including its APU (auxiliary power unit). The airport operator has taken safety action by making the ‘Tug release point’ ground markings more prominent.
The aircraft was scheduled to operate with 181 passengers from London Stansted Airport to Venice Marco Polo Airport, with a planned departure time of 0805 hours. After the boarding was complete at Stansted, the crew requested a ‘remote hold’1 because of an ATC (air traffic control) slot time of 0840 hrs. The aircraft was cleared by ATC for a long pushback “to the bottom of the apron [D]” from Stand 63R. This involved the aircraft being pushed back to the end of the cul-de-sac on Apron Delta, abeam Stand 61L, where the tug would be disconnected, without the aircraft’s engines being started. The crew would then start the engines at an appropriate time to make the slot time.
The AAIB (Air Accidents Investigation Branch) report discusses ways to prioritize tasks and maintain situation awareness, and the importance of ground crew being vigilant of each other, and being ready to act when things do not go as expected.
