Two accidents at Manchester Airport lead to taxiing procedure changes

11/02/2010

By Nick Jones.

Manchester Airport has reviewed its procedures after two separate incidents saw aircraft strike each other while being taxied to the runway, it has been revealed.

According to accident investigators, both events involved one aircraft colliding with the tail of another in the same area at Manchester Airport.

The first took place in February 2007, when a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft struck a Flybe flight bound for Southampton.

The second saw a Futura Boeing 737 touch the fuselage of a Lufthansa Airbus A320 heading to Frankfurt in August 2008.

Neither accident caused any injuries of crew or passengers, but the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said that taxiing procedures at the airport have since been adjusted.

It found that although in the first incident the crew of the Pakistan Airlines flight had been warned about the presence of the Flybe aircraft, the August 2008 Lufthansa crew believed there were no obstacles in their way.

The AAIB is part of the department for transport and investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK.