Recently we have seen an increase in ground damage accidents and incidents, including aircraft wing tip collisions, at airports around the world. International Air Transport Association and Aviation Safety Network (ASN) statistical summaries indicate there were nearly a dozen such events in 2018, and so far this year, there have been at least two, including an incident in March in which the horizontal stabilizers of two PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJs collided as the aircraft were being pushed back at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, U.S.
Fortunately, these events usually occur when the aircraft are moving at slow speed — either under their own power or while being towed — and serious injuries are rare, but damage to aircraft and other equipment can be substantial. In fact, according to ASN, a Boeing 767 was written off as damaged beyond economical repair last year after colliding with a 737 that was being pushed back from its gate.
It is difficult to judge…
