Thai and SIA Taxiing incident.
 

From the Bangkok Post.
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Wings touch during taxiing


AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

An investigation has begun into an accident at Don Muang airport, where two loaded passenger jets ''scratched'' each other during taxiing on Tuesday night.

Thai Airways International flight TG 602, bound for Hong Kong, lost the tip of its right wing in the accident.

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit ordered the inquiry yesterday. It will be undertaken by staff of the Aviation Department and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co, an agency in charge of air traffic control.

A statement issued by THAI yesterday said that at 7.50pm on Tuesday, flight TG 602, an Airbus A330-300, was preparing to take off with 183 passengers aboard when the pilot felt an abnormality with the right wing. A subsequent check found the right wing tip was missing.

The missing part was left on the wing of Singapore Airlines flight SQ068. The plane was parked in bay 52. An inspection found its left aileron was torn.

The THAI captain finally asked for a replacement plane. The flight took off at 11.15pm.

THAI, which also has set up a committee to look into the problem, said there were two possible lines of inquiry _ ''whether or not the Singapore Airlines aircraft was parked in the right position,'' and ''whether or not the THAI aircraft reversed along the right path.''

The minister said he expected the findings in the next few days.

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Same article reference link.
Bangkok Post Online

From "The Nation" newspaper.
More (accurate?) info here it seems.
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Fully-laden planes clip wings at Don Muang
Published on Apr 20 , 2005


The Department of Civil Aviation is investigating an incident at Bangkok International Airport on Tuesday night when two aircraft, laden with passengers, clipped wings on the airport tarmac.

The incident occurred when Thai Airways International flight TG602, bound from Bangkok to Hong Kong, was taxiing to the runway for takeoff at 7.50pm. It clipped wings with Singapore Airlines flight SQ068, which was parked on a taxi lane waiting to be allocated a loading gate.

The wing-tip of the THAI plane was damaged, but no one was injured. Passengers on the THAI plane were transferred to another aircraft for their flight to Hong Kong.

Civil Aviation Department director-general Chaisak Angsu-wan said investigators would interview the captains and co-pilots of both aircraft, as well as air-traffic control staff. They would also examine flight recorders and voice recorders of the two aircraft and a recording from the airport\'s air-traffic control centre.

The two countries\' air transport agencies will also meet today to consider the mishap, and both airlines have been asked to delay repairs until investigators can inspect the aircraft, Chaisak said.

"The accident might have been a mistake by the captains or the staff of air-traffic control," he said. "Normally a plane on the runway cannot clip another if everything is managed in the right way."

Chaisak said the captains of both aircraft would undergo medical check-ups.

If human error was found to have been the cause of the mishap, the authorities would revoke the licence of the captain responsible.

There was nothing wrong with the runway or taxiways, he added. These had been checked, along with their traffic signs, and had met all standards.

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the result of the investigation would be known in one or two days. It

would cite responsibility for the mishap.

He said the incident had not resulted from congestion at the airport, and it would not affect ongoing attempts to upgrade Thailand\'s airports.

Singapore Airlines issued a statement yesterday saying that its aircraft, having arrived on a flight from Singapore to Bangkok, was parked on a taxi lane following an order from air-traffic controllers when it was "scratched" by a wingtip of a THAI Airbus A330, which was moving by.

THAI announced that the captain and co-pilot of its aircraft would cease active duties until the result of the investigation was known.

It said that prior to taking off, the THAI pilot realised there was an irregularity with the right wing. A technician investigated and found that the tip of the plane\'s right wing had fallen off. At the same time, the company\'s operations centre reported that an aircraft part had been found on the wing of a Singapore Airlines plane parked at parking bay 52. The aileron of the Singapore plane\'s left wing had also been torn "for a certain length".

THAI concluded that the mishap was probably caused by the Singapore Airlines plane being parked in an incorrect position - or its aircraft following an incorrect path. The airline has set up its own committee to investigate the incident and clarify its causes.

Director of emergency operations for THAI Surapol Isaragura said it shouldn\'t be concluded that THAI caused the accident. Investigators still had to determine whether or not the Singapore plane had parked overstepping the line, or if there was any mistake in the orders by air-traffic controllers.

If investigators found THAI was at fault, then the airline would be ready to pay compensation, Surapol said.

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Same Article Link
The Nation