Roach...
There have over the years been a few incidents like this. I have always said that No. 1 at the hold should be as far forward as possible to allow A/C to taxi behind. Maybe on this one the 737 was still moving and the other A/C just misjudged it.
Disagree somewhat. Some Holding Points are
extremely close to the runway, and the variables of Weather and crews / types, mean I for one am sometimes content to "hang back" a few yards.
Assuming Danny's diagram is correct, then the 737 has the "right" to stop wherever he wants - after all he might have a problem and need to stop. ATC structure taxi patterns on aircraft size, and therefore know what
can (and cannot) get past. But at the end of the day, it is the pilot's judgement whether he can get past.
If you want to pontificate about this all day study:
AAIB Report where a Gulf Air (I think) A340 made an A340 winglet shaped hole in a BA 757 Rudder at LHR. Specifically:
Measurements taken after the incident showed that the nose landing gear of G-BIKG was 23.6 metres (along the taxiway centreline) behind the CAT I stop bar and 8.6 metres ahead of the CAT II/III stop bar. Profiles of the two aircraft imposed on a plan view of the taxiways and holding area are shown below. The diagram shows that, with G-BIKG in its measured position and A40-LB in its final position, the contact measured on the winglet and rudder would have occurred with A40-LB on its taxiway centreline at the point of contact.
Ten minutes before the collision, the Boeing 757 had been instructed to "HOLD FOR BLOCK 18". The co-pilot parked the aircraft with the flight deck beyond the Cat II/III hold line but short of the Cat I hold line. The commander was content with this parking position. He stated (correctly) that the hold line represents a limit not a target and no part of the aircraft should protrude over the line which was painted diagonally across the taxiway. He was also anxious not to get too close to the runway because aircraft departing from the full length would pass close to his aircraft and, should they encounter any directional control problems, he would be unable to get out of their way. The AAIB were unable to find any UK documentation requiring or encouraging pilots to pull forward to the limit of a holding position.
Those "blame" merchants who want someone to hang / criticise on here will be disappointed that nobody got shot after this - just a load of recommendations, one of which we shall hear for evermore about wingtip clearance on LHR ATIS. And which we will presumably shortly also hear on MAN ATIS
