United Airlines 747 clips Qantas 747 – investigators report
Investigators have reported that the pilot of a United Airlines Boeing 747, which clipped the wing of a Qantas Boeing 767 at Melbourne Airport on February 2, 2006, defied directions by a ground controller to wait until the Qantas plane had taken off.
The Sydney bound Qantas Boeing 767 was carrying 155 passengers and 11 crew and was waiting to take off when the United Airlines Boeing 747 passed behind it, despite the tail section of the Qantas Boeing 767 sticking out into the taxiway.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into the collision said that the 747, carrying 99 passengers and 14 crew was cleared to taxi to a holding point but the pilot chose to continue on.
The report also says that the United Airlines crew was aware of the Qantas aircraft and chose to pass behind rather than either wait until the 767 was no longer obstructing the taxiway or request further advice from the Surface Movement Controller.
It also said that once the pilot in command of the 747 deviated from the taxi clearance issued by the SMC and turned the 747 right into Taxiway Echo he became solely responsible for establishing and maintaining separation between the 747 and the 767, adding, the decision by the pilot in command of the 747 to deviate off the centreline of taxiway Alpha and taxi behind the 767 did not comply with the taxi clearance issued by the SMC.
The action was based on his assessment that it was safe to do so, but 747 the pilot misjudged the distance between the wingtip of the 747 and the right horizontal stabiliser of the 767, which resulted in the collision,” the report concluded.
Report by The Mole
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