Narrative:
A Germania Boeing 737-700 (D-ABLB) was involved in a ground collision accident with an El Al Boeing 767-300ER (4X-EAK) at Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel.
Both aircraft were parked at Terminal 3, with the B737 at gate C8 and the B767 at gate C9. At 06:17 the B767 was cleared for pushback by the ground controller: "ElAl 385 Heavy C9 pushback and startup approved, release point 37 facing east".
Two minutes later the B737 was also cleared for pushback: "Germania 4915 pushback and startup approved, release point 48 facing east." This clearance was later amended to point 47 facing west.
What the ground controller did not realise was the fact that the B767 on point 37 was blocking the pushback lane of the B737.
Germania flight 4915 was being pushed back from the gate until the tail fin impacted the right hand horizontal stabilizer of El Al flight 385.
At the time of the accident it was dark and visibility was decreased by rain and reflecting lights. The two ground crew members that were supposed to walk along the wing tip and tail during the pushback of the B737 were in the tow truck, contrary to procedures.
The main causes for the accident
The severe safety event began with a wrong instruction in the pushback clearance, issued by the ground controller for the 737 a/c aircraft, a pushback which evolved to an accident, under the prevailing local visibility and environmental conditions, as a result of the pushback supervisors of the two pushed back aircraft failing to perform a safe pushback and detect hazards and obstacles on the pushback routes.
Damaged on the ground
accident date: 28-03-2018
type: Boeing 737-76J (WL)
registration: D-ABLB
accident date: 28-03-2018
type: Boeing 737-76J (WL)
registration: D-ABLB
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Wednesday 28 March 2018 |
| Time: | 06:22 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-76J (WL) |
| Operator: | Germania |
| Registration: | D-ABLB |
| MSN: | 36115/2692 |
| First flight: | 2008-07-29 (9 years 8 months) |
| Engines: | 2 CFMI CFM56-7B22 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 127 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) ( Israel)
|
| Phase: | Pushback / towing (PBT) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV/LLBG), Israel |
| Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL/EDDT), Germany | |
| Flightnumber: | ST4915 |
A Germania Boeing 737-700 (D-ABLB) was involved in a ground collision accident with an El Al Boeing 767-300ER (4X-EAK) at Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel.
Both aircraft were parked at Terminal 3, with the B737 at gate C8 and the B767 at gate C9. At 06:17 the B767 was cleared for pushback by the ground controller: "ElAl 385 Heavy C9 pushback and startup approved, release point 37 facing east".
Two minutes later the B737 was also cleared for pushback: "Germania 4915 pushback and startup approved, release point 48 facing east." This clearance was later amended to point 47 facing west.
What the ground controller did not realise was the fact that the B767 on point 37 was blocking the pushback lane of the B737.
Germania flight 4915 was being pushed back from the gate until the tail fin impacted the right hand horizontal stabilizer of El Al flight 385.
At the time of the accident it was dark and visibility was decreased by rain and reflecting lights. The two ground crew members that were supposed to walk along the wing tip and tail during the pushback of the B737 were in the tow truck, contrary to procedures.
Probable Cause:
The main causes for the accident
The severe safety event began with a wrong instruction in the pushback clearance, issued by the ground controller for the 737 a/c aircraft, a pushback which evolved to an accident, under the prevailing local visibility and environmental conditions, as a result of the pushback supervisors of the two pushed back aircraft failing to perform a safe pushback and detect hazards and obstacles on the pushback routes.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Ground collisionDamaged on the ground
Photos
accident date: 28-03-2018
type: Boeing 737-76J (WL)
registration: D-ABLB
accident date: 28-03-2018
type: Boeing 737-76J (WL)
registration: D-ABLB
Video, social media
#BREAKING: Near collision between 2 planes in Israel's Ben Gurion airport: The wing of a Germania plane crashed into an El Al Plane - No one was injured pic.twitter.com/JkJByDYoC5
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) March 28, 2018
Plane collision at Ben Gurion Airport: German plane backs up into El Al passenger jet on tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport https://t.co/mAcFnGum9G ArutzSheva pic.twitter.com/zd3FrXPd3T
— Jewish Community (@JComm_NewsFeeds) March 28, 2018
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport to Berlin-Tegel Airport as the crow flies is 2852 km (1783 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
Distance from Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport to Berlin-Tegel Airport as the crow flies is 2852 km (1783 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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