Accident de Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 Dash 8 C-FJXZ,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 319435

Date:	Friday 10 May 2019
Time:	01:30
Type:	de Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 Dash 8
Owner/operator:	Air Canada Express
Registration:	C-FJXZ
MSN:	264
Year of manufacture:	1991
Total airframe hrs:	64039 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 56
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ) - Canada
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ)
Destination airport:	Sudbury Airport, ON (YSB/CYSB)
Investigating agency:	TSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Air Canada Express flight 8615, a DHC-8-311, collided with a fuel truck while taxiing to gate at Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada.
Five persons were injured in the accident.
Flight 8615 departed Toronto on May 9, 23:03 hours local time, on a domestic flight to Sudbury. Visibility at Sudbury was poor and the flight was not able to land. The flight crew elected to return to Toronto, where a normal landing was made at 01:25 hours local time (May 10). As the aircraft was taxiing to the gate, a collision occurred with a fuel truck. The aircraft spun and sustained serious damage to the left side of the flight deck. The left hand rear cargo door was pushed inward and the no.1 propeller also suffered damage.

Findings as to causes and contributing factors:
1. The limited field of view to the right of the fuel tanker drivers cab caused by the front elevating service platform and its structural elements, along with the condensation on the windows, resulted in the driver being unable to see the aircraft in time to avoid the collision.
2. The captain had a clear field of view in the direction of the oncoming fuel tanker but the visibility was limited due to darkness, rain, and reflected light, and he did not see the oncoming tanker during the critical moments before the collision.

Accident investigation: