Originally Posted by
IBE8720
I hope I am not understanding your reply. Are you trying to tell me that your wing could hit something and you may not notice it?
2 years ago, I hit a bird in an A320 and I felt the impact. Very slight, but felt it. Also heard it and even smelt it(bird went through the engine).
A wing hitting another aircraft.......
I have never taxied into something causing damage so I can't tell with first hand knowledge what it is like.
But, I give you some examples....
This 747 started taxiing while still being de-iced and knocked over two de-icing vehicles.
It is obvious that they didn't know that they hit anything because they only stopped suddenly after taxiing 95 feet due to an urgent message from the ground crew.
"After he had taxied 95 feet, the captain stopped the aircraft suddenly when he heard a radio message directing him to shut down the engines. The horizontal stabilizers of the aircraft had struck the telescopic booms of the de-icing vehicles, causing the occupants of the cherry-pickers to fall and knocking the de-icing vehicles over on their sides."
Transportation Safety Board of Canada - Aviation Investigation Report A95Q0015
These pilots hit the tow vehicle in their 747 after starting to taxi without clearance from the marshaller. The gash in the engine resulted in a significant fuel leak. The pilots thought that the impact was their nosewheels making the noise.
"The flight crew were not aware that a collision with the tow vehicle had occurred."
"During this right turn, the aircraft collided with the stationary tow vehicle. The outer side of engine number two (left inner) struck the front section of the tow vehicle, causing damage to, among other things, the engine nacelle and parts of the engine fuel system. The flight crew heard a light thud and a “juddering” during the turn, and thought that this was due to the nose wheel skidding on the ground during such a tight turn"
https://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/books/1369.pdf
If you listen to the youtube tape linked in the first post of this thread. You will hear the pilot say at 1:05 that "we didn't feel that we hit the pole, just the xxxxx of the aircraft".