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Air accident investigation highlights lack of wing walkers in Heathrow collision

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Air accident investigation highlights lack of wing walkers in Heathrow collision
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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

The UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has determined that the absence of wing walkers was a factor in the ground collision between a British Airways Airbus A350 and a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 at London Heathrow Airport on April 6, 2024.

The incident involved a British Airways Airbus A350-1000, registration G-XWBC, and a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9, registration G-VDIA. During repositioning, the left wingtip of the Boeing 787 struck the right horizontal stabilizer of the parked Airbus A350. Both aircraft sustained damage; however, no injuries were reported.

Virgin Atlantic identified that the pushback tug turned prematurely, leading to an incorrect angle. The procedure lacked wing walkers, which complied with airport standards but contradicted Virgin's standard procedures. The AAIB noted: “Contrary to the aircraft operator’s processes, the pushback was being carried out without dedicated wing walkers. A wing walker on the left side of the aircraft would probably have seen the impending collision.”

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At Stand 323 where the Boeing 787 was parked with one crew member and no passengers, and Stand 325 where the Airbus A350 had 14 crew members and 107 passengers onboard, a tug driver and other personnel conducted the pushback operation. The absence of mandated wing walkers for operations from Stand 323 meant compliance with airport standards was met.

Following this incident, safety measures were implemented by both airline and airport operators. Virgin Atlantic launched its own investigation under its Safety Management System provisions due to passengers being onboard during this reportable incident.

The early turn into taxiway caused equipment obstruction in cross-hatched areas between stands necessitating temporary halting of pushback operations until cleared. Resuming without identifying collision risks led to contact shortly after restart despite air traffic control intervention.

Virgin Atlantic introduced mandatory wing walker requirements in 2021; however, they were not adhered to during this event as their ground handling agent failed to follow these protocols. Consequently, safety alerts emphasizing this requirement have been issued alongside airport operator considerations for visibility-obscured maneuvers requiring similar precautions.

Both damaged aircraft have returned to service post-repair with their respective operators: G-XWBC recently operated flights to Nairobi among others while G-VDIA serviced routes including San Francisco.

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