passenger plane has collapsed onto a tow truck at Manchester Airport.

[crippen]

A taxiing passenger plane has collapsed onto a tow truck at Manchester Airport.

The dramatic moment left the plane's nose resting on the roof of the truck’s cab, which has been pushed forward by the impact.

Firefighters and other emergency services were scrambled to the scene this morning. Passengers bound for Barcelona were immediately escorted off.

http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article8069750.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Drama-as-plane-collapses-onto-truck-while-being-towed-onto-runway-at-Manchester-airport.jpg

Plane at Manchester Airport collapses onto truck while being towed away - Mirror Online (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/plane-manchester-airport-collapses-onto-8069880)

[Capot]

From the photographic evidence in post No 1 alone, let us now try to see how many speculative causes we can postulate, in true PPRuNe tradition, before an obviously authoritative post emerges with the real reason.

They'll fall into two categories, I imagine; in the first it will be the aircraft that moved forwards while the tug didn't, and in the second the opposite. But why? There are so many possibilities!

Over to our usual experts.

[750XL]

Aircraft was being towed from Terminal Three over to the 60's due to it's slot, standard procedure for 'push n park' at MAN.

Sheer pins went on the tow bar during the tow, tug driver tried to slow down but the head of the tow bar disconnected from the bar itself. Result of this was the aircraft running over the tug.

Importantly the tug driver walked away okay :ok:

[DaveReidUK]

Aircraft was being towed from Terminal Three over to the 60's due to it's slot, standard procedure for 'push n park' at MAN.

While full of passengers? Sounds rather a strange procedure.

[chaps1954]

T3 at that time of day is very busy so yes they do move aircraft if pax on but missed slot
but don`t know if it happened in this case

[Chesty Morgan]

While full of passengers? Sounds rather a strange procedure.
Why?..........

[Enos]

Push and Park.

I'd take it as you have a slot.

Some one else needs your parking stand.

You push off the stand with your passengers, engines shut down.

Park somewhere ATC wants you to park.

When your slot time comes, start your engines.

Eventually take off with tug disconnected.

Guess the tug driver was going too fast and broke the shear pin....Damn

[DaveReidUK]

Thanks for the responses - you live and learn. :O

Here's where it's documented:

http://www.magworld.co.uk/magweb.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/Aerodrome_Manual_2015_V2_Sep.pdf/$FILE/Aerodrome_Manual_2015_V2_Sep.pdf

Pages 227-229.

[750XL]

Push n Park is common practise at MAN, and I think the airport are setting up a few more 'push n park' stands over the summer.

There's a few benefits to pushing and parking, but the main ones are that it frees up a contact stand that's usually required for another flight, and it allows the aircraft to taxi straight out to the runway when it reaches it's slot time rather than wait for a tug crew to come back, who may not come back, leading to it missing its slot :ok:

[scr1]

Push and Park.

I'd take it as you have a slot.

Some one else needs your parking stand.

Or as some do to say they have departed on time

[philbky]

The real question here is why did the shear pins go?

[Chronus]

All this greet and meet or valet parking does not really explain how the tow ended up wedged under the nose of the aircraft. For all we know the driver may simply have stuck it in reverse, anyway that`s what I`d say.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<While full of passengers? Sounds rather a strange procedure.>>

Used to happen all day at Heathrow Dave. You must remember?

[number0009]

The real question here is why did the shear pinss go? Saw one shear on a DC-10 push-back. A member of ground crew failed to install NG steering bypass valve pin.

[DaveReidUK]

<<While full of passengers? Sounds rather a strange procedure.>>

Used to happen all day at Heathrow Dave. You must remember?

No, in my time at Heathrow I don't recall an aircraft ever being towed from one stand to another while full of passengers, which is what we're talking about here.

[Capn Bloggs]

Why didn't the tug driver simply advise the crew, who would've then stopped and parked the brakes?

[CaptainProp]

While full of passengers? Sounds rather a strange procedure.

Standard proc all over Europe nowadays. It's not about moving an aircraft from "one stand to another", it's about freeing up a gate for a new arrival / departure as often gate space is limited, not parking positions.

[surely not]

The Boeing 787 could be a problem for this procedure as I believe it cannot start the engines without an external power source such as FEGP or GPU. Or maybe that was just peculiar to the 3rd prototype which we handled on a sales trip?

[Aluminium shuffler]

I've had shear pins fail a handful of times, but not all at once. Nothing was unusual at the time, so evidently they just wear out and shear under normal loads unless inspected and replaced on a proper schedule. I put it down to lack of maintenance by the ground handling companies.

[Huck]

Look at all the money they saved by not running the engines.....

[DaveReidUK]

Standard proc all over Europe nowadays. It's not about moving an aircraft from "one stand to another"

On the contrary, that's precisely what we're talking about in this instance.

it's about freeing up a gate for a new arrival / departure as often gate space is limited, not parking positions.Well yes, obviously many airports have fewer gates than stands. But I'd suggest that it's far more common for a flight that's blocking a gate while awaiting its slot to push, taxy and hold remotely rather than towing a planeload of passengers on a scenic tour of the airport.

[CaptainProp]

Well it's being done all over the place... Germany, UK, France, Italy... Sitting with engines running for sometimes 30-45 minutes waiting for slot time makes little sense.

And no, it was not about moving from "one stand to another" it was about moving from a gate to a parking position.

From the article:

It’s understood it was being towed away from a passenger boarding air bridge by the truck in a ‘pushback’ manoeuvre ahead of take-off when the smash occurred.

[A and C]

Your knowlage of what is now standard practice at airports all over Europe seems a little thin.

Why put expensive cycles on the turbines when you can move the aircraft for a gallon or two of diesel oil ?

[The Ancient Geek]

Schipol has a better idea, they leave regional aircraft parked on stands and bus the passengers out to them from gates 60-something. Bigger aircraft load at the gates.

[N707ZS]

Amazed no one has pointed out that the plane didn't collapse onto the tow truck, as stated in the title.

[CaptainProp]

That's what many airports do today actually. Problem is that they are still running out of gates...

[16024]

Capot's post #2 is pure art.
Within the broad narrative about predictions comes the prediction.
A story within a story.
Very D.M.Thomas.

[DaveReidUK]

Why put expensive cycles on the turbines when you can move the aircraft for a gallon or two of diesel oil ?

Your knowledge of what constitutes an engine cycle seems a little thin. :O

Neither procedure consumes more cycles than the other.

At Manchester, both Push & Park and Push & Hold are SOPs, and it's the length of the delay that determines which is used.

CTOT needs to be later than STD+35 before Push & Park is allowed, if it's less than that you will be expected to taxy to a remote hold to await your slot.

[750XL]

A lot of rubbish being spouted here :ok:

Rumours are one of the sheer pins failed, tug driver attempted to slow down by using the brakes which resulted in the remaining sheer pins going, and tow bar head becoming detatched - Subsequently allowing the aircraft to run into the tug.

The Boeing 787 could be a problem for this procedure as I believe it cannot start the engines without an external power source such as FEGP or GPU. Or maybe that was just peculiar to the 3rd prototype which we handled on a sales trip?

787 can start it's engines with the APU like any other aircraft can

[DaveReidUK]

The Boeing 787 could be a problem for this procedure as I believe it cannot start the engines without an external power source such as FEGP or GPU. Or maybe that was just peculiar to the 3rd prototype which we handled on a sales trip? 787 can start it's engines with the APU like any other aircraft can

Possibly the OP encountered a 787 with the APU u/s, in which case you obviously can't use an air cart for engine start and therefore need external electrical power ?

[nitefiter]

A similar incident occurred at MAN a few years ago when a bmi regional crew decided to do a cross bleed start on a Emb 145 whilst being pushed back from stand in the cul de sac. Ended up with said aircraft on top of said tug cab!

[TURIN]

Your knowledge of what constitutes an engine cycle seems a little thin. :O

Neither procedure consumes more cycles than the other.

At Manchester, both Push & Park and Push & Hold are SOPs, and it's the length of the delay that determines which is used.

CTOT needs to be later than STD+35 before Push & Park is allowed, if it's less than that you will be expected to taxy to a remote hold to await your slot.
There are two push and park procedures I have seen used.
1.Normal pushback. Tug disconnects and aircraft taxis to a remote location shuts down engines and waits. Restarts and taxis out when required.
2. Tug tows aircraft to a remote area and disconnects.

1. Requires two engine starts and use of fuel. 2. Doesn't.

I remember doing it with OneElevens at MAN so it's not new.

[funfly]

Back in those days economy passengers were treated like dirt.

and the difference nowadays is?

[Cloud1]

Shear pins go all the time not necessarily down to tug driver speed or driving standards. Could be a dodgy ramp with a slight incline or deviation, a pin that has just given in due wear and tear or slight mishap on angles. The fact it went isn't to much a concern it's more the question of was it noticed and stopped or did the aircraft roll forward due to an unlevel ramp surface.

[Deadstick126]

There is a history of this at LAX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTLA1zYdMxo

[harrryw]

And Noise Limitation too.

[CV-580]

Deadstick126....That's computer graphics magic, not a real event. Nice try though!

[Hotel Tango]

CV-580, I think you'll find that Deadstick126's post is tongue-in-cheek humour, not an attempt at passing it off as real.