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| Date: | Friday 17 March 1995 |
| Time: | c. 13:45 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 747-236B |
| Owner/operator: | British Airways |
| Registration: | G-BDXA |
| MSN: | 21238/292 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Pushback / towing |
| Nature: | - |
| Departure airport: | - |
| - | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft G-BDXA was being towed from a stand in the Heathrow Central Area to Terminal 4 by a
team of the operator's ramp agents who were using standard company towing practices. This involved
one man being positioned on the flight deck to act as aircraft brake man, a second as tug driver and a
third as a ground radio operator in the tug. The aircraft was being supplied with electrical power from the tug, via an 'easy-break' connector, and this power was being used to generate hydraulic pressure in the No 4 system (which powers the wheelbrakes) by means of an electrically driven pump. There was also a voice communication link from the tug to the flight deck via another connector. The end of the towing bar which was connected to the nose landing gear had a load limiting frangible link. The weather was inclement, with high gusting winds and rain squalls.
They were approaching Terminal 4 and had just started to execute a sharp turn, having stopped to
allow other traffic to clear, when a strong gust of wind caught the aircraft, causing it to 'rock about.'
The tug crew felt their vehicle lurch and heard a loud bang, indicating to them that the towbar had
broken. The tug was immediately driven clear of the aircraft in accordance with standard instructions.
When he saw the tug, the brake man in the flight deck realised that the tow link had parted and,
although now out of any communication with the tug, applied the brakes and stopped the aircraft.
However, after a very brief interval he became aware that the aircraft was on the move again. He
attempted to re-apply the brakes but they appeared not to work and he observed that there was no
indicated hydraulic pressure remaining in the braking system. Furthermore, he was unable to steer the aircraft because the steering is necessarily disabled (at the nose landing gear) in order for towing to be possible.
At the position where the towbar had separated, the taxiway had a detectable downslope and, with the wind from behind, the aircraft rolled uncontrollably into the rear of another aircraft (G-BNLA) which was parked on a stand. The tug driver had meanwhile attempted, in vain, to arrest the aircraft's progress by throwing chocks under the mainwheels, but it had gained sufficient momentum to merely roll over them.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/542300c6e5274a1317000adf/Boeing_747-236B__G-BDXA_and_Boeing_747-436__G-BNLA_06-95.pdf
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9748928 (Photo)
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 23 May 1996 | G-BDXA | British Airways | 0 | Near Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP) |  |
min |
| 12 October 1997 | G-BDXA | British Airways | 0 | near London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) | |
min |
| Issue with flap(s) | ||||||
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Aug-2025 13:28 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 03-Aug-2025 13:28 | Justanormalperson | Updated [Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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