Viva Aerobus Airbus A320 Damaged After Being Hit By Catering Truck
On March 31, a Viva Aerobus[1] Airbus A320 took damage to the fuselage after being hit by a catering truck.
The catering truck hit the aircraft while it was parked at Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) following a flight VB1058 from Mexico City. The 11-year-old Airbus A320[2] suffered damage to the empennage area, i.e., the entire aircraft tail section.
Details of the incident
The aircraft was parked on one of the platforms with no passengers onboard. From the photos and videos, it looks like passengers had disembarked, and cargo had been unloaded from the aircraft. In the vicinity were ramps, tugs, baggage handlers, and other ground services.
The airline has not been available for comment, but according to Transponder 1200, the truck driver fainted while on his way to service another aircraft. March 31 and April 1 have seen some interesting announcements by airlines[3], but this incident was certainly not an April Fool’s joke.
Parking an aircraft requires a lot of concentration and coordination between pilots and ground services. Although the A320 is a narrowbody aircraft, maneuvering it requires the same precision as an A380[4] or a B747[5]. If it is not carried out properly, the results can be fatal and potentially cost airlines a lot of money in repairs.
As a result of the damage, the aircraft was inspected, and repairs will be carried out. The aircraft was scheduled to operate more flights on this route, but another one has been deployed to avoid further passenger inconvenience. Viva Aerobus said to Transponder 1200;
“Another aircraft, registration XA-VAY, was assigned to cover this route so that passengers could make their trip as soon as possible. We regret the inconvenience that this circumstance may cause in some flights scheduled for today.”
Safety concerns on the ground
Apart from the pilots, the team on the ground is also responsible for watching out for aircraft. The ground handling team[6] was preparing for another flight VB510, flying from Guadalajara to Los Angeles International (LAX)[7].
The parking phase is one of the final stages of a flight. During this phase, fuel trucks, ground tugs, ramps, conveyor belts, catering vehicles, and ground personnel move around in the path of the aircraft. Pilots must always ensure they do not hit any objects, which they did successfully in this case.
Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock
This year there have been numerous ground incidents in North America that have raised safety concerns. Following a series of high-risk incidents and more frequent near misses, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)[8] issued a safety alert earlier this month to address airport safety.
As of March 2023, there had been 613 runway incursion incidents over the last six months, which was starting to raise a lot of eyebrows. The FAA held a safety summit with airlines and other stakeholders, saying, “While the overall numbers do not reflect an increase in incidents and occurrences, the potential severity of these events is concerning.”
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Source: Transponder 1200[9]
References
- ^ Viva Aerobus (simpleflying.com)
- ^ Airbus A320 (simpleflying.com)
- ^ March 31 and April 1 have seen some interesting announcements by airlines (simpleflying.com)
- ^ A380 (simpleflying.com)
- ^ B747 (simpleflying.com)
- ^ The ground handling team (simpleflying.com)
- ^ Los Angeles International (LAX) (simpleflying.com)
- ^ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (simpleflying.com)
- ^ Transponder 1200 (www.transponder1200.com)