Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 16 June 2020
Aircraft Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
Owner/operator: Nordic Aviation Capital
Registration Number: G-JECK
Location: Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ/EGPD) – ÿ United Kingdom
Phase of Flight: Standing
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Component Affected: Wheel ChocksWheel Chocks
Investigating Agency: AAIBAAIB
Category: Accident
On June 16, 2020, DHC-8-402Q G-JECK, a previously stored Embraer ERJ-145EP G-SAJS, was to be flown empty to Weeze Airport, Germany, following the cessation of Flybe?s operation. Prior to departure, pilots verified wheel chocks were present. After the commander reviewed the log, the co-pilot initiated the APU. The MFD indicated adequate hydraulic system fluid, and the park brake lever was set to park. Approximately 15 minutes after the chocks were removed, the commander exited the aircraft to conduct a walkaround inspection. During this inspection, the park brake hydraulic system pressure was measured at 500 psi. The dispatcher then initiated a walkaround inspection, confirming the pressure was 0 psi. The pilots did not authorize the removal of any wheel chocks. The aircraft continued to roll forward due to the depleted hydraulic pressure. The commander recalled the park brake hydraulic pressure was 0 psi, leading to the aircraft?s movement. The engineers then attempted to stop the aircraft by pushing against the main strut, but the aircraft did not respond. The dispatcher moved the aircraft to the left gear, and the engineers pushed against the nose strut to prevent further movement. The aircraft then crossed Taxiway D, striking the underside of G-SAJS?s No 2 engine, causing its landing gear to lift clear of the ground. The aircraft stopped with the No 2 engine resting on top of its forward fuselage, with no injuries. The incident was caused by the inadvertent removal of wheel chocks, resulting in a hydraulic system pressure depletion, leading to the aircraft?s uncontrolled movement.On June 16, 2020, DHC-8-402Q G-JECK, a previously stored Embraer ERJ-145EP G-SAJS, was to be flown empty to Weeze Airport, Germany, following the cessation of Flybe?s operation. Prior to departure, pilots verified wheel chocks were present. After the commander reviewed the log, the co-pilot initiated the APU. The MFD indicated adequate hydraulic system fluid, and the park brake lever was set to park. Approximately 15 minutes after the chocks were removed, the commander exited the aircraft to conduct a walkaround inspection. During this inspection, the park brake hydraulic system pressure was measured at 500 psi. The dispatcher then initiated a walkaround inspection, confirming the pressure was 0 psi. The pilots did not authorize the removal of any wheel chocks. The aircraft continued to roll forward due to the depleted hydraulic pressure. The commander recalled the park brake hydraulic pressure was 0 psi, leading to the aircraft?s movement. The engineers then attempted to stop the aircraft by pushing against the main strut, but the aircraft did not respond. The dispatcher moved the aircraft to the left gear, and the engineers pushed against the nose strut to prevent further movement. The aircraft then crossed Taxiway D, striking the underside of G-SAJS?s No 2 engine, causing its landing gear to lift clear of the ground. The aircraft stopped with the No 2 engine resting on top of its forward fuselage, with no injuries. The incident was caused by the inadvertent removal of wheel chocks, resulting in a hydraulic system pressure depletion, leading to the aircraft?s uncontrolled movement.

Description

DHC-8-402Q G-JECK had been stored at Aberdeen Airport since mid-March 2020, following the previous operator (Flybe) ceasing trading. On 16 June 2020, the aircraft was to be flown empty to Weeze Airport, Germany where it was to be placed back into storage. Prior to boarding the aircraft, the pilots had checked that wheel chocks were fitted to the mainwheels and nosewheels. In the cockpit, the parking brake lever was confirmed as being set to the park position and whilst the commander reviewed the aircraft technical log, the co-pilot started the APU. The pilots checked the cockpit multi-function display (MFD) and noted that the fluid quantities of the hydraulic systems were adequate. Neither pilot noticed what the park brake hydraulic system pressure was indicating on the MFD, but this was not required to be checked until the end of the aircraft power-on checks and prior to starting the first engine. The representative of the aircraft’s owner and the dispatcher then proceeded to remove the chocks from all wheels. The pilots, onboard the aircraft, had not seen the chocks being removed. About 15 minutes after the chocks had been removed, the commander exited the aircraft to start his walkaround inspection. This included visual checks of the nosewheel tyres and the park brake accumulator pressure gauge, which indicated about 500 psi. Whilst the commander spoke with the engineers, the co-pilot then carried out a walkaround inspection. Neither pilot had authorised the removal of any wheel chocks, and neither noticed that all the wheel chocks had been removed during the walkaround. As the pilots completed the load sheet, the dispatcher boarded the aircraft via the forward left cabin door and stood near the cockpit entrance. The owner representative then noticed that the aircraft was starting to move forward and shouted to the dispatcher who alerted the pilots. Both pilots applied the toe brakes and the commander moved the park brake lever off and back to park twice, but the aircraft continued to roll forward. The commander recalled that, as the aircraft had started to move, he had noticed that the park brake hydraulic system pressure on the MFD was 0 psi. The commander also tried to steer using the tiller, but the aircraft did not respond. Having seen the aircraft start to move, the three engineers left their vehicle and ran to the adjacent right landing gear, where they tried to stop the aircraft by pushing and pulling against its main strut. As the representative ran to the vehicle to get some chocks, the dispatcher jumped from the cabin door and moved to the left gear where he pushed against its strut. However, the aircraft continued to gather speed as it crossed Taxiway D whilst heading towards the parked and empty aircraft, Embraer ERJ-145EP G-SAJS. The dispatcher then ran to the front of the aircraft, where he was joined by one of the engineers, who tried to slow the aircraft by pushing against the aircraft nose. A few second later, the engineers and dispatcher ran clear of G-JECK as it approached G-SAJS. At a ground speed of about 5 kt, G-JECK struck the underside of G-SAJS’s No 2 engine, causing its right landing gear to be lifted clear of the ground. G-JECK came to a stop with the No 2 engine of G-SAJS resting on top of its forward fuselage. There were no injuries. Conclusion: G-JECK rolled across Taxiway D from its parking position and struck G-SAJS because the nosewheel chocks had been inadvertently removed, and the hydraulic pressure in the park brake accumulator had depleted over several days to the point where it was unable to prevent the aircraft from moving on the 1ø slope.

Primary Cause

Inadvertent removal of wheel chocks, leading to a hydraulic system pressure depletion.Inadvertent removal of wheel chocks, leading to a hydraulic system pressure depletion.

Share on:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *