| Date: | Friday 17 December 2010 |
| Time: | 11:17 |
| Type: |  Airbus A330-243 |
| Owner/operator: | Middle East Airlines - MEA |
| Registration: | OD-MEA |
| MSN: | 984 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2009 |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial, repaired |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG -
 France
|
| Phase: | Pushback / towing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG) |
| Beirut International Airport (BEY/OLBA) | |
| Investigating agency: | BEA |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The Airbus A330 was about to be pushed back from stand H12 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
During the push back manoeuvre, the tractor driver tried to align the aircraft with the centre line of the taxiway. The aircraft crossed the centreline and came to rest in an off-centre position with the nose gear out of alignment.
The crew started the No. 1 engine, which stabilized at ground idle speed. After about one minute, the tractor driver attempted to pull the aircraft forward to align the nose gear wheels with the centreline. Almost simultaneously, the crew started the No. 2 engine.
As the tractor driver pulled the aircraft forward, the tractor lost traction when rolling on ice. The plane continued to advance by pushing the tractor.
The ground agent, in contact with the crew by wire, asked them to apply the parking brake. The plane continued to move forward and the tractor skidded to the left. The tow bar couplings broke and the tractor struck the side of the fuselage. The crew braked and the aircraft came to a stop.
LESSONS LEARNED AND CONCLUSION
The second engine speed stabilized as the tractor pulled the aircraft towards the front. The inertia of the aircraft and the thrust of both engines at idle exerted a forward force while the tractor, offset to the left, had lost all power adhesion.
The accident was caused by a pushback manoeuvre on icy ground.
Contributed to the accident:
- insufficient measures to prevent and/or treat ground ice storms;
- the particular configuration of the H12 parking point, which leaves little space for pushback;
- difficulties in understanding between ground staff and crew.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 21 August 2011 | OD-MEA | MEA - Middle East Airlines | 0 | Abidjan-Felix Houphouet Boigny Airport (ABJ/DIAP) |  |
non |
| 29 July 2020 | OD-MEA | Middle East Airlines - MEA | 0 | Lagos Murtala Mohammed International Airport |  |
min |
| Collision with other aircraft on apron | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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