View Full Version : Ouch, catering truck hits Airbus A320 at Guadalajara, Mexico
NutLoose
3rd Apr 2023, 13:13
It took a big wack, film and pics below
https://youtu.be/KjARluaGmnM
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1050x600/catering_truck_slams_into_parked_vivaaerobus_airbus_a320_at_ guadalajara_mexico_e57993ca4c300f7f856b3223ac674fc1af3763d9. png
Richard Taylor
3rd Apr 2023, 13:55
It'll buff out....
Fly-by-Wife
3rd Apr 2023, 16:17
It'll buff out....
It's a catering truck, so it'll buffet out... and they may need a few spare ribs... that's just for starters...
9 lives
3rd Apr 2023, 16:30
It'll buff out....
Would Mr. Taylor explain the process? Some of us have had to make repairs to damaged structure like that, and were not able to be so flippant about it.
DuncanDoenitz
3rd Apr 2023, 17:21
Would Mr. Taylor explain the process? Some of us have had to make repairs to damaged structure like that, and were not able to be so flippant about it.
Agreed 9L. Hope the driver gets a good grilling from his boss.
MichaelOLearyGenius
3rd Apr 2023, 18:49
The driver is toast
If they serve steak on the next flight that catering company supplied....do not eat it. Probably well done. :}
judyjudy
3rd Apr 2023, 19:05
The perpetrators will get their just desserts.
MechEngr
3rd Apr 2023, 19:11
Wow. That's a twist on the 11foot 8 bridge. The commenters there would ask "Why isn't the plane just raised up higher?"
This is one of those cases where I wonder if rebuilding the truck to have the driver's head above the top of the truck shell might be a way to avoid this.
Meanwhile, in the terminal, the departing gate announces that 50 rolls of speed tape is requested ASAP along with an extension ladder.
Don't know anything about Airbus, I worked B777 and B747. The tail jacking point must be somewhere near that damage, so supporting the airframe while carrying out the repair will be interesting. All that weight, APU, fin, tailplane, behind the damage. At least it's behind the pressure bulkhead.
Concours77
4th Apr 2023, 14:22
Don't know anything about Airbus, I worked B777 and B747. The tail jacking point must be somewhere near that damage, so supporting the airframe while carrying out the repair will be interesting. All that weight, APU, fin, tailplane, behind the damage. At least it's behind the pressure bulkhead.
Once the rack penetrated the skin, the CORRECT action Is to "DON'T REVERSE AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT".
DaveReidUK
4th Apr 2023, 18:35
If a hole in the skin and a dented frame or two were to cause the tail to fall off, I'd have serious reservations about ever flying in an Airbus again. :O
If a hole in the skin and a dented frame or two were to cause the tail to fall off, I'd have serious reservations about ever flying in an Airbus again. :O
Quite a bit of damaged skin and internal structure, so the airframe needs supporting while the repair is carried out. Retired now but involved with quite a few belly skin repairs and replacement belly skin replacement. Biggest repair was when a tug driver thought he was driving under a B777 when he was actually driving under a B747, there is a big difference in ground clearance.
When I was on the DC-10 with Laker, we were in the crew bus at Gatwick on our way out to Stand 22 (or thereabouts) to go flying. Next door was a DanAir 727 with a catering truck in the near vicinity. Believe it or not, it had knocked the centre engine clean out of the airframe and there was a complete P&W JT-8 engine lying on the ramp! Remarkable.
The driver is toast
Yup. He will be well done, when his employer is finished with him.
Don't think he will ever in his Life get near any airport again. Would expect this to be a multi million $ damage.
First_Principal
5th Apr 2023, 20:05
Yup. He will be well done, when his employer is finished with him.
Don't think he will ever in his Life get near any airport again....
Really?
While I don't think it requires the 2 to 4 year investigation that most a/c aviation incidents seem to need I'd have thought it reasonable to conduct a thorough and robust review of exactly what happened, and why.
Who knows, something may be learned from that which could prevent it from happening again. For example; there could be issues with training, the vehicle may have had a mechanical failure, or it's even possible the driver may have had a medical event.
So maybe you could cut the guy, or girl, some slack 'till more is known?
FP.
El Grifo
5th Apr 2023, 22:21
Relax Tio, this is the all knowing, all understanding, PPRUNE :-)
EL.
zerograv
5th Apr 2023, 22:34
Once the rack penetrated the skin, the CORRECT action Is to "DON'T REVERSE AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT".
Looking at the video, would say that it does not look like the driver of the truck Reversed away from the aircraft after hitting the aircraft.
Don't know what kind the transmission this US trucks have, namely, if it manual, or automatic (like almost all American cars), but it looks like he was kind of coasting in 'Neutral', and obviously not paying attention to the driving, hit the aircraft, which absorved all of the truck energy, with the truck kind of bouncing back some space from the impact, and the driver finally putting his feet on the brake and stopping the truck. Must have thought where did this aircraft came from ...
There were 2 people in the truck, so maybe conversation between them, with the driver not looking forward.
El Grifo
5th Apr 2023, 22:37
Yep ! That'll be it !
El G.
DaveReidUK
6th Apr 2023, 11:59
When I was on the DC-10 with Laker, we were in the crew bus at Gatwick on our way out to Stand 22 (or thereabouts) to go flying. Next door was a DanAir 727 with a catering truck in the near vicinity. Believe it or not, it had knocked the centre engine clean out of the airframe and there was a complete P&W JT-8 engine lying on the ramp! Remarkable.
With thanks to the DanAirRevisited Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/DanAirRevisited):
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/528x532/dan_air1_5062643b4496cd6b19a58c02e6deaeb8b60b04fb.jpg
Ouch !
NutLoose
6th Apr 2023, 13:10
I remember at Newcastle a baggage handler punctured the skin ( small hole) on a Ten, resulting in eventually after temp repairs a none pressurised ferry flight back to Brize for repair, A replacement Ten was sent and it errmmm was hit by a baggage handler and his loader in the same place..
tdracer
6th Apr 2023, 17:45
I remember at Newcastle a baggage handler punctured the skin ( small hole) on a Ten, resulting in eventually after temp repairs a none pressurised ferry flight back to Brize for repair, A replacement Ten was sent and it errmmm was hit by a baggage handler and his loader in the same place..
Practice makes perfect :}
So maybe you could cut the guy, or girl, some slack 'till more is known?
I do. His employer won't. Just stating what is going to happen to this poor guy/gal.
Zar_1
16th Apr 2023, 06:01
Considering the location on the fuselage, would this be treated akin to a tailstrike?