Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 18 March 1979
Aircraft Type: Boeing 747-246F (SCD)
Owner/operator: Japan Air Lines – JAL
Registration Number: JA8123
Location: K?benhavn-Kastrup Airport (CPH) – ÿ Denmark
Phase of Flight: Taxi
Status: Minor, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Component Affected: Aircraft ? Specifically, the left wing, the right wing gear tracking, the left wing’s contact with the lightmast, and the navigation of the aircraft’s position relative to the snowbank.Aircraft ? Specifically, the left wing, the right wing gear tracking, the left wing’s contact with the lightmast, and the navigation of the aircraft’s position relative to the snowbank.
Category: Accident
A scheduled international cargo flight from Anchorage, Alaska, USA to Frankfurt, Germany, experienced a significant incident due to a snowbank obstruction. The aircraft landed on runway 04L in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the captain initiated a taxiing maneuver near a snowbank. The captain’s actions, including a right turn and a minor jolt, resulted in the left wing contacting and turning over a lightmast, including a No. 4 mast, which was misaligned with the previous masts. The incident was triggered by the aircraft being directed to an apron with a snowbank without a visible guideline, and the captain’s decision to maintain the right wing gear tracking on the left side of the snowbank. The aircraft subsequently stopped, and the captain was marshalled to continue the turn.A scheduled international cargo flight from Anchorage, Alaska, USA to Frankfurt, Germany, experienced a significant incident due to a snowbank obstruction. The aircraft landed on runway 04L in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the captain initiated a taxiing maneuver near a snowbank. The captain’s actions, including a right turn and a minor jolt, resulted in the left wing contacting and turning over a lightmast, including a No. 4 mast, which was misaligned with the previous masts. The incident was triggered by the aircraft being directed to an apron with a snowbank without a visible guideline, and the captain’s decision to maintain the right wing gear tracking on the left side of the snowbank. The aircraft subsequently stopped, and the captain was marshalled to continue the turn.

Description

JAL flight 625 was a scheduled international cargo flight from Anchorage, Alaska, USA to Frankfurt, Germany with a stop in Copenhagen, Denmark for refueling and crew change. The aircraft landed on runway 04L at 02:15 hours. The taxiways and aprons at Copenhagen were covered with approximately 1-2 inches of loose snow with reported braking action poor. When the captain entered the apron area there was no guide line visible and taxispeed was reduced to 10 kts. Part of the apron along finger C had been cleaned for loose snow and a snow bank more or less parallel to finger C and 12-14 inches high appeared when JL625 approached the apron. The captain decided to keep the right wing gear tracking on the left side of the snow bank due to a parked DC-10 at gate 32 at the finger on his right side. Taxiing on the apron he noticed three lightmasts and judged the clearance for the left wingtip to be sufficient. He continued straight ahead close to the snowbank and when approaching gate 30 a right turn was initiated for docking. A small jolt which was thought to be the right gear boogie having encountered the snowbank was felt in the aircraft and it stopped. According to the captain’s statement he was then marshalled to continue the right turn towards the gate. But it was not possible to continue even when adding power. He then observed that the left wing had contacted and turned over a lightmast. That mast was a No. 4 in the row of previous mentioned masts noticed by the captain. It was not aligned with no. 2 and 3 mast but closer to finger C. The captain was not aware of this no. 4 mast. Cause of the Accident: “The cause of the accident was that JA 8123 was directed to and the PIC accepted to taxi on an apron with a snowbank and without a visible guideline.”

Primary Cause

The incident was caused by the pilot’s deviation from established procedures and lack of awareness regarding the presence of a snowbank and the importance of a visible guideline on the apron.The incident was caused by the pilot’s deviation from established procedures and lack of awareness regarding the presence of a snowbank and the importance of a visible guideline on the apron.

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