Anyone got some T-cut?
 

Apparently it was being towed to the gate. Given the significant number of wingtip collisions over recent years (towing or taxiing), is it time to consider tech that can detect wingtip obstacles and alert pilots/handlers?

San Francisco

Tip of Aer Lingus Plane Wing Hits Concrete Wall at SFO; No Injuries Reported

"A commercial jet that landed at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday afternoon hit a concrete wall while being towed to a gate, according to an airport spokesman".

Towed to a gate? Passengers reportedly stuck on board for an hour.

A common event for certain gates at certain airports in the USA.

For some reason I looked at the picture and thought 'SFO'.

The tech exists for collision avoidance, it probably wouldn't weigh too much either, but the logistics of getting it installed on everything that needs it would be a massive job (although every successful project has to start somewhere). You've got to retrofit the aircraft, having first determined that it's going to work satisfactorily, then find a way of communicating with the tug, possibly via radio as it's short range, then you have to retrofit the tugs. I guess if it's radio based then retrofitting tugs is easy, a new box on the dash with a big red light on it and a power cord. As it's only intended for low-speed ground operation the certification process may not be too bad.

You still wouldn't catch all of the incidents though, only the wingtip ones. Way harder to stop a wing leading edge from hitting something if the Mk 1 eyeball has failed. Thinking here of the recent incident slicing off a tail fin - that was inboard of the wingtip.

One passenger in the terminal got some really close-up pictures of the wingtip, followed by dozens of media requests to use them:

I note that Aer Lingus operate both the A330-200 and -300 series. Both types share the same wingspan of 60.3m. However, the 300 is 4.60m longer. I have no idea if it makes any difference to how the tug initiates the turn into the gate but would be interested to know from someone in the know.

It's a VERY tight space there. The photo is actually taken from the short-term car park, which is what the wing tip has hit.

Several years ago I was picking up my wife and just as we were about to get in the car, a tug managed to create an entanglement between a plane it was pushing back, and the Qantas 747 that spends all afternoon and evening parked in a corner - in this same place. As far as we could tell nothing had actually hit anything, but they couldn't figure out how to undo the situation without making it worse. I kept an eye on things when I got home and the plane did eventually depart several hours later, presumably after an inspection.

If Aer Lingus park round the back of International Terminal A where BA parked when I flew the B744 for them, I can confirm it's pretty tight round there when taxying with a good look out on both sides required (not as tight as taxying onto JFK Terminal 7 stand 3 or 9, but still).

Under tow though? Complacency? Poor training? Who knows...

Interesting. This was an A333.

Wonder if they used a tub of Vaseline to ease it out.

You dont need technology, the only requirement is a set of eyes and the common sense to stop if you dont like what you see.

Unfortunately something is going wrong with either the MK 1 eyeballs or 'common sense' if there are ongoing taxiing and towing incidents. Agree with llondell that it would likely have some complexities with retrofitting and interfaces, but if a lightweight solution is available then surely worth it rather than paying out insurance + reputational damage?

The amount of times I've seen those 'wingmen' in the US waving their batons (basically to say 'keep 'er comin'') as we pull onto stand, whilst looking everywhere BUT the wingtip... I expect that's what happened in this scenario.

Towing onto a tight stand is common in the US. EWR is another place where they do this.

The photos appear to show he was being towed on to G91, which is the innermost stand in the 45° angle between International Pier G and the parking garage/International train station.

GE suggests there is approximately 120 feet between the curved yellow stand lead-in and the station piers at the closest point - half an A333's wingspan is 99 feet ...

Are you referring to something in the frame at the end of the above video?

mjb

You're right, Dave, and as he was about 20 feet off the lead-in line, the math works out just about right.

A4 Are you suggesting that the aircraft stop on the taxiway to have these clamped on sensor installed then taxi or tow to the terminal. Not a practical solution. Some one had the proper idea with a wing walker and eyes on task.

Yes, because an aircraft is just like a car and at IKEA you can buy rubber thingies to put on the tip of things so you wont bump in to them.

Although I have to agree that this 'should not happen' if people are paying attention the fact that they still do suggests that additional tech might be useful.

I don't believe additional sensors are needed, just think "ground ops collision avoidance" with each aircraft transmitting it's current (GPS assisted) speed, location and orientation.
A central computer could then issue alerts for AC to AC or AC to fixed obstacle proximity using a static map of the facility.
For towing tugs would also need to transmit/receive warnings.
The tug can probably determine (powered down) aircraft orientation using angle sensors at both ends of tow bar, that would still leave open someone entering incorrect AC type.

Of course unless every baggage cart and boarding ramp was active things could (and would) still go wrong.

Ironically, the aircraft in question would in fact have been doing exactly that.

bnt
Should the tow driver follow the pair of white lines painted on the ground in front of the airplane?!?

Maybe they're there for a reason...

Looking at the image from the car park, which shows the alignment of the towing vehicle pretty clearly, I'm wondering whether the driver / wing walkers understood the phenomenon of 'swept wing growth'?

When the VC10 entered RAF service, there were a lot of educational posters showing the hazards associated with towing swept wing aircraft....

Training?

How much training do these subcontractors of subcontractors get?

Yes, the white lines are there for a reason - they delineate the airside roadway that runs along the back of the Golf stands. Following those when towing an aircraft would have had an even worse outcome. :O

As a general rule, white lines are for landlubbers, yellow ones are for aircraft.

Here's G91, courtesy of GE:

Crikey! Going to need no. 1 man ( oops, or woman or in-between ) driving the tug to get a wide-body out of there unscathed.

Or maybe someone who wasn't flipping burgers last week.

DavidReidUK

Thank you for the explanation.

I stand corrected.

I thought possibly a semi autonomous quadcopter. It hovers 100 feet above the aircraft and acts as a remote camera platform for manoevours in tight spaces.

Best perhaps to mount sensors or cameras directly to the buildings in question. No need to operate a drone or modify / add sensors to aircraft.

That centreline track for the stand has to be the daftest one i have seen - not surprised that they have accidents. If you want to put in zigzag lines like that then best you restrict the stand to narrowbodies.

I assume it has been moved?

If so, how did they do it?

Carefully ? :O

Aircraft returned to Dublin on the day following the incident.

Maybe winglets are a MEL Item

It's a CDL item - you can have one removed and just tape up the holes.