Accident Boeing 737-8AS (WL) EI-DLJ,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 320497
 
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Date:Saturday 28 June 2014
Time:06:46
Type:Silhouette image of generic B738 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing 737-8AS (WL)
Owner/operator:Ryanair
Registration: EI-DLJ
MSN: 34177/1899
Year of manufacture:2006
Engine model:CFMI CFM56-7B27
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 184
Aircraft damage: Substantial, repaired
Category:Accident
Location:London-Stansted Airport (STN) -   United Kingdom
Phase: Pushback / towing
Nature:Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:London-Stansted Airport (STN/EGSS)
Destination airport:Warszawa-Frédéric Chopin Airport (WAW/EPWA)
Investigating agency: AAIB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
Two Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft, operated by Ryanair, were involved in a taxiway collision at London-Stansted Airport (STN), England.
Ryanair flight 752, operated by EI-ENL, had landed on runway 22 at London-Stansted Airport following a flight from Hahn Airport, Germany. It was a dry morning, visibility was good, and the
wind was from 230° at 5 kt. After vacating the runway via the high speed link NR the co-pilot checked in on the Ground radio frequency and the aircraft was instructed to take the second left turning onto Taxiway J and to hold short of Taxiway C. Later the Ground controller instructed EI-ENL to proceed via the 'C West' line to park on Stand 43R.
As EI-ENL was taxiing, another aircraft, Ryanair flight 1021 to Warsaw, Poland, operated by EI-DLJ, requested permission to "push and start" from Stand 44R. The Ground controller approved this request and in so doing repeated the stand number clearly and instructed EI-DLJ to push onto the 'C West' line. The crew of EI-ENL did not discern that another aircraft was being given a pushback instruction that conflicted with their own routing.
Onboard EI-DLJ, the crew were completing their pre-flight preparations and therefore they were not monitoring taxi instructions given on the Ground frequency when EI-ENL received parking instructions.
When the tug driver for E-DLJ was passed the 'brakes released' signal, he saw EI-ENL on Taxiway J but lost contact with it as he started the pushback.
A pier obscured the controller's view of Stands 43 and 44 and only the fins of aircraft on the 'C West' line could be seen. The crew of EI-ENL saw a B737 on Stand 44R as they turned onto the 'C West' line but they did not appreciate that it was commencing pushback. After completing the turn, the co-pilot looked to his right and realised that the tail cone of the other B737, was now moving towards him. He told the commander to stop and the commander started to turn left, away from the conflict, and to apply the brakes. Three and a half seconds after the co-pilot started speaking, the right hand winglet of EI-ENL impacted the leading edge of the right horizontal stabiliser on EI-DLJ. The winglet was forced under the tail cone of EI-DLJ where it penetrated the
APU bay and fragmented. The pilots of EI-ENL felt the aircraft "touch" before they brought it to a halt a few metres further on.
The tug driver had seen EI-ENL re-appear behind EI-DLJ and braked hard but could not prevent the collision. The impact of the winglet caused the APU on EI-DLJ to fail and a small amount of fuel to leak onto the ground. Onboard, the crew felt a thump, the aircraft stopped suddenly and some electrical services failed.
After engines had been shut down the two 737s were later towed onto their respective stands and all persons onboard disembarked without injury.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: AAIB
Report number: EW/C2014/06/04
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 9 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:


History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
17 July 2009 EI-DLJ Ryanair 0 London-Stansted Airport (STN/EGSS) non

Location

Revision history:

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