Not withstanding the fact that there's never an excuse for a taxiing accident - going too fast, gone the wrong way, some one else parked in the wrong position, should've stopped if unsure and got a wingwalker etc etc etc -you have to remember that you really can't see the wing tips from the flight deck on the 747/744.
OK you can just see the tip if you reach and crane your neck but there's such parallax that it's no real use. Best option is to open the sun roof (escape hatch) and have a proper butchers from there. Even then the view isn't great. Or go along and find a cabin window that gives a view....At night those views would be pointless
Not that any of the above would've helped if these guys thought they were on the centre-line of an approved taxy-way. PIC carries the can though.
Many years ago a BA (or BOAC) 707 with a forward protruding HF aerial on the stbd wing collected a light pole (lamp post) taxiing via the wrong entrance into the BA terminal at JFK. The light array at the top fell onto the wing and punctured the fuel tank. A/c was ferried to LHR two days later. The crew wasted a day being interviewed by a selection of flight managers (10am sharp, uniforms will be worn), were 'retrained ' on the finer points of taxiing but nobody was fired.
i think similar will happen here. Gahd is perfect - the rest of us......
