AAIB investigation to Boeing 737-73S, EI-SEV and Boeing 737-33A, G-GDFB
Ground collision, Stand 24, East Midlands Airport, Derbyshire, 30 April 2019.
Summary:
EI-SEV was taxiing to park on Stand 22 (S22) at East Midlands Airport (EMA) and the routing passed behind G-GDFB on Stand 24 (S24). As EI-SEV passed behind G-GDFB its winglet struck the other aircraft’s right horizontal stabiliser.
Low Visibility Procedures (LVPs) were in force, and controllers could not see the apron area and were unaware that S24 was occupied. Neither the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) nor the pilots’ airfield charts indicated that wingtip clearance could be compromised when taxiing behind parked aircraft in that location.
Following the accident, the airport operator closed S22 pending a safety review and conducted a survey of parking stands across the airport to identify any similar aircraft taxi-separation hazards. The operators of both aircraft alerted their EMA-based flight crew to the hazard of reduced aircraft separation when using Stands 20-25 (S20-25). EI-SEV’s Operator also issued a Company NOTAM to alert all their pilots using EMA to the hazard identified through this accident.
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