BA A380 Taxis into Jet Bridge

[LlamaFarmer]

Originally Posted by WhatsaLizad?

I don't know when the escort responsibility ends.

Presumably before this incident.

I have no idea of MIA or A380 ops, but would imagine there is a handover of responsibility from escort vehicle to marshaller (if indeed there is one, which for an aircraft so big I would expect)


Does anyone know if the 787/A350 have cameras covering full view of the aircraft?

[golfyankeesierra]

Why BA aircraft were landing on 08R is confusing to me as well

Both times I have seen BA landing recently at night in MIA, they've landed on RW 08R, which is also a longer taxi to their gates

Any (certification)issues with RNAV/GPS app on the big bus at BA?

I don't consider our confreres at BA such sissies that they prefer an ILS over an RNAV while taxi time is longer..

[OntimeexceptACARS]

Might be different in the UK for responsibilities. But an A380 taxiing onto stand would have loaders nearby the nosewheel awaiting chocking when the aircraft stops, with access to a stop button on the stand guidance stanchion, if fitted. There may be wing walkers guiding the aircraft onto stand (fail).

Have a look at the first picture again. Looks like there's an airbridge closer to the aircraft than the one that's hit the wing. I wonder if they were planning to use two, as it makes sense to with an A380, one for each deck, if the airport is so equipped. In such a case there may have been ground crew moving the (wing) bridge when it hit. Primary responsibility is with that airbridge driver, in those circumstances. And if so, its not tea and biscuits for ground crew. Its foxtrot oscar.

[Volume]

what happened to the great job of the wing walker ?
Ah, I know. Cost saving

This could probably never happen in Japan, plenty of guys with harthats, high visibility vest and starwars-style lighted sticks at every gate where a plane taxies in.
They even bow if the ckocks are on...

[Hotel Mode]

There is a pair of wing walkers for 380 ops at MIA.

[RAT 5]

In the world of 'proactive' action would it not be a wise SOP that any stand planned for an incoming A380 was given the all clear by a ground marshaller moments before the a/c arrived at the stand?

[SeenItAll]

While the airbridge may have been in the wrong place, it was not just slightly infringing on the space through which the plane needed to pass -- it was likely at least 30 feet closer to the plane than it should have been. After all, it didn't hit the wingtip, it hit the outboard engine. Further, it would have been passing right by the Captain's LHS window before the collision occurred.

Wouldn't one expect the Captain to have noticed that this obstruction was way closer to the airplane than it should have been? There are many times that I have been on a plane that stopped short of the gate because the Captain reported that something was blocking the clearway. It seems to me that this ding only required two holes in the swiss cheese -- and unfortunately in addition to the marshallers, the Captain may have been one of them. But until we read the official report, nothing is certain.

[Hogger60]

787-8/9 has no camera for external views, but the -10 may well have one when it comes out in 2018.

[RAT 5]

787-8/9 has no camera for external views, but the -10 may well have one when it comes out in 2018.

Mk.1 eyeball comes to mind. Cameras are great for things behind you or out of vision. Eyes are great from things in front of you. Slightly sarcastic; no knicker twisting, please.

Was said A380 truing left or right onto stand? If left then infringing airbridge more in eye-line than right turn. But there are 2 pairs of eyes up there, n'est ce pas?

[TowerDog]

. But there are 2 pairs of eyes up there, n'est ce pas?

Probably 3 pair of eyeballs if the flight is more than 8 hrs.

Not sure about the E-terminal in MIA, but @ the D-terminal there is bright yellow boundary lines to protect aircraft and equipment at the parking stands: If anything is inside the lines, one has to stop immediately. Usually baggage carts, ground-huffers, jet-bridges and sometimes personnel are inside the lines and easy to spot, then stop. It is a pretty good system expect at night in the rain when you can't see them yellow lines.

[FIRESYSOK]

To whoever suggested the captain is half to blame.....you've clearly never parked an airliner.

One cannot look out the side window AND watch the marshaller at the same time. If you take your eye of him, you're going to get yourself into trouble.

You can have a good idea before pulling onto stand if anything is amiss, but the ultimate responsibility is with the marshaling team once under their charge.

[IcePack]

Firesysok, yep you are right but the Captain still carries the can. That is what he is paid for, even if it is not really his fault.

[TowerDog]

but the ultimate responsibility is with the marshaling team once under their charge..

At many gates in MIA the Marshaling team has been sent packing and instead we have machines that do their job: It senses aircraft position, closure rate etc, tells you to turn left or right and to stop. It has to be manually programmed for each aircraft type and that is usually done in the Ramp-Tower.

Not sure what BA has on the E-terminal for the A-380s.

[FIRESYSOK]

Seems a bit old fashioned. We've left that culture well behind at US air carriers. I'd file the report and most likely never hear another word. After all, crew don't show up for work intending to have this happen. That's why we've moved on from this 'tea with no biscuits' drama. You will see it in the military, but that's not the airlines anymore- and for good reason.

[ExSp33db1rd]

I nearly drove an engine into an Airbridge at a well know Indian airport ( the now changed name suppressed to prevent the innocent ) where self-parking by the pilot was the procedure, and the first person to enter the flightdeck was a senior ground crew member who looked at the self-marshalling lights and said - with accompanying wobbling of the head - " the lights are on, it wasn't our fault "

I never said it was your fault, I replied, but you had a crew of men watching, and not one even tried to intervene to stop me, a simple crossed arms above the head from anyone would have been sufficient for me to stop and at least ask why, they may not be qualified marshallers but did no-one have enough commonsense to even cry "stop" ? Were you all going to stand and watch me drive into the bridge regardless ? Such fun.

[Three Thousand Rule]

As a non-professional pilot, who has been on the A380 quite a lot as a pax, I find the tail mounted camera view amazing when taxiing, as the aircraft is just so physically huge.

No doubt it will all come out in the wash, but presumably there is an accident chain in place here, not a single point of failure.

[WhatsaLizad?]

"MIA requires the follow me for all 380's. If you operate out of MIA daily, it's probably no big deal to you, but to infrequent visitors the airfield is just a sea of green and blue lights at night. I'm not sure what pathetic exchange you heard, but I'd be much happier being called pathetic than trying to explain why I'd let the big, ugly bastard sink into the concrete on an unapproved taxiway; the paperwork tends to eat into valuable drinking time."


Buter,


Sorry about my poor writing skills (public colonial schools you know )


The "pathetic" radio exchange was between the MIA Ground Controller and the clueless "Follow Me" vehicle. The BA crew was professional and silent during the wait for their escort.


The MIA ground control operation has sunk to a level I've not seen in a long time.

[NukeHunt]

Word on the street says that indeed the jet bridge was in the incorrect position for an A380 arrival.

Thats one of the problems with multi-use stands, designed for 2 narrow bodies or 1 wide body, if the stand is allocated late for example, or a late change, sometimes it doesn't give the ground crew enough time to get to stand and re-config the jet bridges into the correct position before the aircraft is 1/2 way into the stand.

Word of advice, if the lights are not turned on DO NOT cross the double white lines into stand, if you're blocking a taxiway, so be it, but the ground crew are then unable to properly check/re-config the stand, also some of the new guidance lights won't work as they cannot run their self test if the aircraft is already too close.

[framer]

To whoever suggested the captain is half to blame.....you've clearly never parked an airliner.

That's exactly what I thought. What was the time of day and the weather like?

[exeng]

FIRESYSOK

One cannot look out the side window AND watch the marshaller at the same time. If you take your eye of him, you're going to get yourself into trouble.

Actually you can do this - and at times must. If you do not trust the marshaller then it is incumbent upon you to ensure that the area you are taxiing into is clear of objects.

Difficult I except, but necessary.

When turning towards the gate all crewmembers on the flight deck should ensure the gate area is clear. If in doubt stop and evaluate the situation.

In any event proceed with caution. If in any doubt stop and ask for wing walkers.

By the way my experience in Africa ops over many years has taught me to trust nobody. No disrespect intended for our African cousins as generally, whilst full of good intentions, they have never been given any training.

By the way, despite my age, I was capable of following marshalling instructions whilst simultaneously checking for objects outside the aircraft. Impossible on a 380 wing I accept. That why it was imperative to check the gate was clear before entry perhaps??

Perhaps the jetty they collided with was repositioned during their taxi in to the gate?

All will be revealed in due course.


Kind regards
Exeng