Incident Overview
Description
A Germania Boeing 737-700 (D-ABLB) was involved in a ground collision accident with an El Al Boeing 767-300ER (4X-EAK) at Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel. Both aircraft were parked at Terminal 3, with the B737 at gate C8 and the B767 at gate C9. At 06:17 the B767 was cleared for pushback by the ground controller: “ElAl 385 Heavy C9 pushback and startup approved, release point 37 facing east”. Two minutes later the B737 was also cleared for pushback: “Germania 4915 pushback and startup approved, release point 48 facing east.” This clearance was later amended to point 47 facing west. What the ground controller did not realise was the fact that the B767 on point 37 was blocking the pushback lane of the B737. Germania flight 4915 was being pushed back from the gate until the tail fin impacted the right hand horizontal stabilizer of El Al flight 385. At the time of the accident it was dark and visibility was decreased by rain and reflecting lights. The two ground crew members that were supposed to walk along the wing tip and tail during the pushback of the B737 were in the tow truck, contrary to procedures. The main causes for the accident The severe safety event began with a wrong instruction in the pushback clearance, issued by the ground controller for the 737 a/c aircraft, a pushback which evolved to an accident, under the prevailing local visibility and environmental conditions, as a result of the pushback supervisors of the two pushed back aircraft failing to perform a safe pushback and detect hazards and obstacles on the pushback routes.
Primary Cause
Flawed pushback clearance issued by the ground controller, leading to a misdirected pushback and subsequent collision.Flawed pushback clearance issued by the ground controller, leading to a misdirected pushback and subsequent collision.Share on:
