Date:	Saturday 6 April 2024
Time:	11:20 UTC
Type:	Airbus A350-1041
Owner/operator:	British Airways
Registration:	G-XWBC
MSN:	362
Year of manufacture:	2019
Engine model:	Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 121
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor, repaired
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Teminal 3, London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL)
Destination airport:	Accra-Kotoka Airport (ACC/DGAA)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, G-VDIA, was being pushed back from the gate of Terminal 3 at London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) when the left-hand wing tip struck the right-hand horizontal stabilizer of a parked British Airways Airbus A350-1041 (G-XWBC). The British Airways flight had 121 persons on board (14 crew and 107 passengers).

G-VDIA was parked on Stand 323 at London Heathrow Airport, and G-XWBC was parked alongside, on Stand 325. G-VDIA was scheduled to depart from Stand 211, so the aircraft needed to be pushed back and repositioned. G-XWBC was in the process of boarding passengers for flight.

Three people were involved in the pushback operation: a tug driver, a headset operator and a ‘brake-rider’ in the cockpit. As G-VDIA was pushed back, the aircraft was turned in preparation for it entering the taxiway. The left wingtip struck the right horizontal stabiliser of G-XWBC causing damage to both aircraft. Nobody was injured but the collision was reportable to the AAIB because there were people were onboard G-XWBC with the intention of flight.

AAIB Conclusion
G-VDIA collided with G-XWBC when it was being pushed back to allow it to be repositioned on another stand. The aircraft was being moved in accordance with airport requirements, but the turn was initiated too soon. Contrary to the aircraft operator’s processes, the pushback was being carried out without dedicated wing walkers. A wing walker on the left side of the aircraft would probably have seen the impending collision.

Safety actions
● The operator of G-VDIA issued a safety alert to highlight their requirement for wing walkers during aircraft pushbacks and towing operations.
● The airport operator issued an Aerodrome Safety Alert outlining factors that should be considered during aircraft pushback or towing operations.
● The airport operator advised they were reviewing non-standard pushback operations and the associated Operations Safety Instruction".

Damage to airframe
Per the AAIB Report, the damage to G-XWBC was that "Both aircraft sustained structural damage". To minimize disruption to its flight schedule, British Airways arranged for another A350-1000, registered as G-XWBB, to operate the scheduled flight to Ghana. However, it departed from London with a delay of 6 hours and 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic assured that although G-VDIA was removed from service, its flight schedule for April 6 remained unaffected.

1. AAIB Report 14 November 2024: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67337a55bfc4a11a06122090/Boeing_787-9__G-VDIA_Airbus_A350-1041_G-ZWBC_11-24.pdf
2. Heathrow Airport Safety Report Bulletin 11 April 2024: https://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/company/team-heathrow/airside/safety-alerts/ASGrOps_SA_066%20Aircraft%20Ground%20Collision.pdf
3. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/27159100/two-passenger-planes-crash-heathrow/
4. https://news.sky.com/story/two-planes-at-heathrow-airport-collide-wings-on-the-runway-13109099
5. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-68749072.amp
6. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/virgin-atlantic-dreamliner-collides-with-british-airways-a350-on-ground-video
7. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/06/two-passenger-planes-collided-at-heathrow-airport-damaging/
8. https://simpleflying.com/aaib-report-british-airways-airbus-a350-virgin-atlantic-boeing-787-ground-collision-heathrow-airport/
9. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1885619/Heathrow-plane-crash-latest-updates
10. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/london-heathrow-airport-plane-crash-b2524638.html
11. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/heathrow-airport-runway-planes-crash-virgin-ba-b1149856.html
12. https://metro.co.uk/2024/04/06/virgin-atlantic-jet-collides-british-airways-plane-heathrow-20598734/
13. https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/breaking-planes-collide-heathrow-airport-32526181
14. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13278721/Planes-collide-Heathrow-Virgin-787-jet-hits-wing-British-Airways-Airbus-tarmac-stunned-passengers.html
15. Earlier incident, Tailstrike at Heathrow, 2 January 2022 (ASN Entry): https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/273756
16. Earlier incident, Tailstrike at Heathrow, 2 January 2022 (AAIB report): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62e925308fa8f5033906b7f4/Airbus_A350-1041_G-XWBC_09-22.pdf
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathrow_Airport

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


2 January 2022	G-XWBC	British Airways	0	London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL)		min
Tailstrike

Just witnessed a plane crash at Heathrow! A tug pushing back a Virgin 787, crashed the wing into a BA A350 #Heathrow #BritishAirways #VirginAtlantic pic.twitter.com/9VmiP6uwQr

— Alex Whittles (@PurpleFrogAlex) April 6, 2024

Accident at #heathrow involving a #virginatlantic #boeing787 and a #britishairways #A350 #bigjettv @BigJetTVLIVE pic.twitter.com/Hm5Vh6ehrc

— Roger Slaytor (@slaytor_roger) April 6, 2024

?? Déchargement réussi du stabilisateur horizontal pour les réparations de l’Airbus A350-1000 de British Airways (immatriculé G-XWBC) accidenté le 6 avril dernier à l’aéroport de Londres Heathrow. https://t.co/Mye2sBbbyF pic.twitter.com/Wt9emEFeTG

— air plus news (@airplusnews) September 9, 2024

While being towed from the stand at London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) Terminal 3, A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner left wingtip hit the horizontal stabilizer of a British Airways Airbus 350-1041 jet (G-XWBC, Built 2019) on 06 Apr. Saturday, sparking a huge emergency pic.twitter.com/eYcYzaC25c

— flyer737777 (@Flyer737777) April 6, 2024

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Apr-2024 07:53	Goklerdeyiz.net	Added
09-Sep-2024 21:03	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, ]
18-Nov-2024 11:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, ]
18-Nov-2024 11:17	ASN	Updated [Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ]