Bent BA 747
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: 51.28.4N / 00.27.4W
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Ooops
Yesterday lunchtime someone parked a fire engine on the edge of the taxiway between the BA west base run-pen & the adjacent BAA security post. Unfortunately the BA 744 heading into the west base has a wing span = 'X' & the space available between the pen & the parked fire engine was 'X'- several ft. Hence 1 bent fire engine & 1 badly damaged RB211. I understand a lot of photo's were being taken by the gathering throng of officials etc, so sure 1 will turn up before too long. 
Last edited by MaxDiff; 5th Oct 2008 at 09:06. Reason: west not east sorry!
Join Date: Aug 2002
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We must not judge Mr Jumbo by his lifestyle, however bent he may be. Perhaps he likes firemen? Does he get teased by the main(stream)line fleet a lot I wonder? We must be told.....
I'll get me coat.......
I'll get me coat.......
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Rainboe makes a good point.
The amout of damage to aircraft on the ground(not pilot induced) is eye watering, no passengers about keeps it low profile, airlines don't much like making public any damage to aircraft, just get it fixed or scrap it and pass the bill to the insurance company and we can all pay for it.
May be an insurance type could put a figure on these events, get the tissues ready !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The amout of damage to aircraft on the ground(not pilot induced) is eye watering, no passengers about keeps it low profile, airlines don't much like making public any damage to aircraft, just get it fixed or scrap it and pass the bill to the insurance company and we can all pay for it.
May be an insurance type could put a figure on these events, get the tissues ready !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Perth - Western Australia
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Seem to recall coming across a couple of 'abandoned' RAAF Caribou, just on dusk, at Corrigin airstrip, maybe 25 years ago .. wearing a couple of somewhat buckled wingtips!! .. 
Seems like someone .. who remains nameless .. misjudged the length of a Caribou wing! .. or the proximity of the other parked Caribou .. when they went to do a 180 at the end of the strip! ..
I'll wager there was an awful lot of, "Yes Sir!" .. "No, Sir!" .. "Yes, Sir" .. from someone standing rigidly to attention, at Pearce, the following week! ..
Seems like someone .. who remains nameless .. misjudged the length of a Caribou wing! .. or the proximity of the other parked Caribou .. when they went to do a 180 at the end of the strip! ..
I'll wager there was an awful lot of, "Yes Sir!" .. "No, Sir!" .. "Yes, Sir" .. from someone standing rigidly to attention, at Pearce, the following week! ..
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Cannot resist a comment as close to source of this. There are more damage to aircraft accidents at LHR / LGW than the rest of the stations we serve. That may be to do with the fact that both locations have the most movements. However, what you cannot deny is that as the company has no disciplinary control over the ramp operation accidents will continue. There have been a number of major incicents the example of the 747 being towed into the back of the 777 to name but one. A number of the accidents are genuine mistakes and a number are caused by staff that could not give a toss, fail to follow the procedures and know full well that nothing will happen to them anyway.
Join Date: Jan 2001
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HZ123,
I know what you are saying, but the problem with that is that if someone does have an accident, and ends up being disciplined for it, obviously other people on the ramp will get to hear about it. Then if they ever have an accident, it discourages them from reporting it (which could be catastrophic depending on the nature of the damage) as they will be thinking about saving their own @$$/Job etc rather than reporting the damage so it can be fixed.
I think the new line in ramp safety is to try and get people to actually report the damage they have done and only disciplining if it is found they were negligent in some way, that way it encourages more people to report things so they can be fixed.
The ramp is one of the most dangerous places anybody can work, and accidents are inevitable, although I do agree when you say there are allot that are caused simply by people who don't give a toss, which unfortunately is down side of the ground handling side of the aviation industry.
I know what you are saying, but the problem with that is that if someone does have an accident, and ends up being disciplined for it, obviously other people on the ramp will get to hear about it. Then if they ever have an accident, it discourages them from reporting it (which could be catastrophic depending on the nature of the damage) as they will be thinking about saving their own @$$/Job etc rather than reporting the damage so it can be fixed.
I think the new line in ramp safety is to try and get people to actually report the damage they have done and only disciplining if it is found they were negligent in some way, that way it encourages more people to report things so they can be fixed.
The ramp is one of the most dangerous places anybody can work, and accidents are inevitable, although I do agree when you say there are allot that are caused simply by people who don't give a toss, which unfortunately is down side of the ground handling side of the aviation industry.
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Join Date: Nov 2004
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Lack of judgement, pure and simple. Someone needs to instil better judgement training in tug operators, or maybe just get tug operators with better judgement. The potential flow-on dangers from ground damage are just too great to ignore. Perhaps they need to install proximity warning devices on ground equipment? - then I guess the idiots will be able to ignore them .. 
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There seems to be a certain amount of statements that show an ignorance of the facts. Do we know if the a/c was being towed on the correct line ? Or was the vehicle parked where it should not have been ?
