BA aircraft strikes jet bridge at Washington Dulles

[Eboy]

News story on local radio station WMAL. No links.

It is reported that BA Flight 264 struck a jet bridge at Washington Dulles around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The wing "nearly cut in half." No injuries.

[beamender99]

http://www.acc-tv.com/images/wjla/news/vidcap_11planelanding110409.jpg





DULLES AIRPORT - At Dulles Airport passengers on a plane suffered a scare during a landing. Officials confirmed a British Airways jet was damaged after reaching the ground Wednesday night.

Officials say British Airways flight 264 struck the tarmac around 7:30 p.m. They say one of the wings collided with the jet brake and caused so much damage the wing was nearly cut in half.

Airport officials none of nearly 200 passengers were hurt.
Some passengers have been stranded at the airport though. The flight was supposed to return to London Wednesday night but some passengers may not be able to make it back until Thursday.

An investigation is underway to see exactly what happened with the

Plane Landing at Dulles Damages Wing, Scares Passengers|ABC 7 News (http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1109/675254_video.html?ref=newsstory)

[Hotel Mode]

BA264 is the outbound flight number. The jet bridges are usually stowed out the way for arrival and only connected for departing pax (assuming its the same for 767) as the mobile lounges are used for disembarkation. As the incident happened 30 mins (if the timings are correct) after the aircraft parked, and there are no pax desperate to give eyewitness statements, I would suggest that the jetbridge collided with the aircraft not vice versa.

[TyroPicard]

The ABC video says it happened while taxying. But surely an impact which cut the wing "nearly in half" would require quite a fast taxy.......

[golfyankeesierra]

The jet bridges are usually stowed out the way for arrival and only connected for departing pax (assuming its the same for 767) as the mobile lounges are used for disembarkation
No. Disembarkation is via jet bridges into a waiting area and after that you enter the people carriers for the trip to immigration.
But the jetbridges are definetely used after parking.

[L337]

struck the tarmac around 7:30 p.m. They say one of the wings collided with the jet brake and caused so much damage the wing was nearly cut in half.

That is gibberish. Rubbish reporting.

[polax52]

But anyway whats a JETBRAKE??

[Backoffice]

From the FAA Accident/Incident database:-

BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHT 265 BOEING 767, WHILE BEING MARSHALLED INTO GATE, LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE JETWAY BRIDGE

[vapilot2004]

So we've gone from a rather serious 'landing scare' and 'wing shearing off' to a damaged tip and perhaps a nav light inop?

[raffele]

It would seem so!

I couple years ago I was on the 293 to IAD, which arrived about 8pm. We all piled onto the plane mates as is the norm (for those who don't know, IAD use these very weird mobile lounges to take passengers around the place - search on Wikipedia for a picture). The plane mate I was on was attached to the door behind the wing (747). As such we were the last out, and the driver's wing mirror hit the back of the wing.

Absolute pandemonium ensued. The fire department, police, BA engineering... The captain and ground crew all flooded onto the scene. We didn't move an inch whilst the damage was looked at. We were taken off the plane mate, had to give our details to the police (names and first address in the states) and 45 minutes later were loaded onto a new plane mate and on to customs and immigration.

I believe there was no damage done (except perhaps to the mirror) but I'm guessing the driver - who was rather scared at the time - got a rollacking

[wiggy]

"for those who don't know, IAD use these very weird mobile lounges to take passengers around the place -"

For what it's worth BA no longer routinely use the gates at IAD that require the mobile lounges to be attached to the aircraft, they use gates with jetties....

[Peter L]

Vapilot. You say.
(So we've gone from a rather serious 'landing scare' and 'wing shearing off' to a damaged tip and perhaps a nav light inop?):D

Just made me laugh a lot cheers......so true.....I think maybe a cup of tea was knocked over ....... :)
Its good to laugh in these tough times....

[mary meagher]

I can't believe the exaggeration and baloney broadcast on that ABC news item. Talk about unsubstantiated rumours! Encounters with airbridges and baggage trucks are a routine item on AAIB bulletins, most of which are down to groundstaff error when analysed. I should imagine that the groundstaff are being paid even less than the pilots these days, and probably suffer the same decline of enthusiasm for work that is devoid of glamour and mostly isolated and out in the cold and rain.

[beaver eager]

Judging by the basic comprehension (= research) and literacy skills on display here, it sounds like journalists in the U.S. don't get paid much either these days.

Maybe their professional status is headed in the same direction as Pilots'? :(

There's nothing about this on BA's Employee Self Service website yet and anything pilot-error related tends to be promulgated internally pretty quickly so that we might all learn from it ASAP.

I'm leaning towards Hotel Mode's theories above.

[Magplug]

The aircraft was being marshalled onto stand in the dark and one leading edge contacted an incorrectly parked airbridge. The aircraft returned to service 24 hours later after being fitted with a replacement slat section. There have been previous safety reports concerning IAD marshaller proficiency and poor visibility of ground markings.

News is the new 24 hour entertainment. If they don't hype it up and dramatize it then nobody will watch it. ----- And many of you guys would have nothing to talk about

[woodpecker]

Parking B767 at Washington Dulles, under Marshall's instructions (young BA engineer) the jetty driver starts moving the pier before we had stopped. The marshaller (engineer) continued to beckon us forward. Following a delay while the jetty chap moved it back to its "parked" we proceeded forward and parked.

The young engineer (marshaller) arrives on the flight deck and starts lecturing me that he was in charge and I should have followed his instructions.

A very short exchange followed.....

[HeathrowAirport]

G-BNWY (http://www.libhomeradar.org/aircraft/G-BNWY.html) has been in IAD since the 5th, any new if its an Insurance right off or It will return to LHR? If Im correct Isnt there a boeing factory in washington?

[Skipness One Echo]

Seattle, Washington.....

[HeathrowAirport]

Ah thats impossible then. FAA wont let it do KIAD-KSEA? - I dont think BA want another Bird an Insurance right off - considering there £292 million loss announced yesterday.

[Beeline]

Sounds like the Jetty was not correctly positioned from the previous departure and the incident may have occured regardless of marshaller or guidance, the line still would have been followed.

Wing tip on the B767 can be removed and replaced, if the damage is further towards the root, it could be more of a problem.

Accidents do happen.

[Flapping_Madly]

What's a right off?

[Duchess_Driver]

Guessing its the opposite of a 'Left-in'.

Sorry, couldn't resist:ok:

[Flintstone]

That'll be 'write off'.

[brakedwell]

Spot on ! :D:D

[rotated]

Right off, as in the news coverage of the thing. The only real disaster here.

As opposed to "Right on".

As usual.:ugh:

[Fargoo]

Not so bad after all, flew back non revenue today.

[Magplug]

Beeline..... Have you ever set foot on a flight deck ?

Sounds like the Jetty was not correctly positioned from the previous departure and the incident may have occurred regardless of marshaller or guidance
In virtually all wide bodied aircraft no part of the wing is visible from the flight deck. When self-parking with stand guidance the crew will have already checked that the marked parking area is clear before approaching. When that is not possible then the crew have to place their entire trust in the marshaller who should always be positioned so as to ensure he can guide the aircraft clear of all obstructions. Where he cannot do that on his own he may have one or more 'wing-men' to ensure his blind areas are covered.

[Beeline]

Magplug

I can assure you my presence on the flight deck is more regular than your previous post has implied.

I can also assure you I have many times marshalled numerous types of aircraft in and out of hangers and on and off stand.

My post was therefore a suggestion of the course of actions as I have not yet read the official report.

Your procedure is entirely correct and should be adhered to, but in the real world of the ramp area, some variables do play havoc with the system.

Once again accidents do happen, the actions that occured must be learnt and avoided in future.

[wideman]

Isnt there a boeing factory in washington?
Seattle, Washington...
The discussion of the aviation non-incident having run its course, I'll offer this tangent and true story:

The Pacific Northwest was known as the Columbia District, and it was jointly claimed by Great Britain and the United States. Until the early 1800s, the only people in the area were aboriginals, and there wasn't much need for ownership to be settled. White settlements increased, and the Oregon Treaty of 1846 divided the Columbia District between the U.S. and what is now Canada.

On the Canadian side, they created a province called British Columbia. On the U.S. side, they decided against calling the new territory Columbia, because it would be too easily confused with the U.S. capital, the District of Columbia. So they named it Washington.

[leewan]

Saw a BA safety bulletin about a B767 that had its LE damaged after contacting the aerobridge. Didn't state the location although I strongly suspect this incident could be it. Looking at the pic of the damage, didn't seem that bad. If the wing was sheared off, there could have been an explosion leading to a potential disaster.

[DownIn3Green]

Bealine...What Variables???

Pulling into the stand, if any ground equipment is INSIDE of the RED lines, I stop the A/C until the "variables" are moved...period...

[White Knight]

Virtually all wide bodied aircraft Magplug? Guess you've never stepped foot in a wide body Airbus flightdeck as I can assure you that the wing is visible from the flight deck of the 332/343/345 - in fact I can even see the outer engines of the 343/345... Must be a Boeing problem:}

[Joetom]

It saves time and effort to leave stuff in the box.

People allow aircraft into the box in the above condition.

Aircraft get damaged.

It will prob need a loss of life to get this fixed.

Anyone who does not want to be involved in this type of damage to aircraft should just stop the aircraft going into box in this condition, taxi or tow.

[lomapaseo]

It saves time and effort to leave stuff in the box.

People allow aircraft into the box in the above condition.

Aircraft get damaged.


Then why even have a box if you don't intend to use it for its purpose:confused:

Are there no enforceable procedures before an incident?

Is this an OSHA regulatory issue or FAA?

[JW411]

White Knight:

It was not possible to see any of the wing or the engines of the DC-10-10 from the flightdeck.

It was only just possible to see the wingtip of the DC-10-30 (larger wingspan) from the flight deck so maybe it was a Douglas thing too.

Mind you, in those days I don't think the A340 would have been classified as a widebody? Maybe that was an Airbus thing?

[White Knight]

Mind you jw411 (you 411a's little brother??) the 767 would hardly be classified as a wide body either would it:hmm: And this is the type we're talking about here I believe:hmm:

I could be a really sad Reggie S Potter and google fuselage diameters but I got better things to do:}

What's a DC10 these days but hundreds of frying pans in the making:E:E

[JW411]

White Knight:

The last sentence was supposed to be a bit of humour but it was obviously totally lost on you.

By the way, Fedex are still flying over one hundred of your frying pans.

[rottenray]

I think maybe a cup of tea was knocked over

Can't resist.

Two planes, one cup.