Accident Boeing 737-76J (WL) D-ABLB,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 319704
 
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Date:Wednesday 28 March 2018
Time:06:22
Type:Silhouette image of generic B737 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing 737-76J (WL)
Owner/operator:Germania
Registration: D-ABLB
MSN: 36115/2692
Year of manufacture:2008
Engine model:CFMI CFM56-7B22
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 127
Aircraft damage: Substantial, repaired
Category:Accident
Location:Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) -   Israel
Phase: Pushback / towing
Nature:Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV/LLBG)
Destination airport:Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL/EDDT)
Investigating agency: AIAI
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
A Germania Boeing 737-700 (D-ABLB) was involved in a ground collision accident with an El Al Boeing 767-300ER (4X-EAK) at Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel.
Both aircraft were parked at Terminal 3, with the B737 at gate C8 and the B767 at gate C9. At 06:17 the B767 was cleared for pushback by the ground controller: "ElAl 385 Heavy C9 pushback and startup approved, release point 37 facing east".
Two minutes later the B737 was also cleared for pushback: "Germania 4915 pushback and startup approved, release point 48 facing east." This clearance was later amended to point 47 facing west.
What the ground controller did not realise was the fact that the B767 on point 37 was blocking the pushback lane of the B737.
Germania flight 4915 was being pushed back from the gate until the tail fin impacted the right hand horizontal stabilizer of El Al flight 385.
At the time of the accident it was dark and visibility was decreased by rain and reflecting lights. The two ground crew members that were supposed to walk along the wing tip and tail during the pushback of the B737 were in the tow truck, contrary to procedures.

The main causes for the accident
The severe safety event began with a wrong instruction in the pushback clearance, issued by the ground controller for the 737 a/c aircraft, a pushback which evolved to an accident, under the prevailing local visibility and environmental conditions, as a result of the pushback supervisors of the two pushed back aircraft failing to perform a safe pushback and detect hazards and obstacles on the pushback routes.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: AIAI
Report number: 31-18
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 2 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:


History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
12 September 2011 D-ABLB Air Berlin 0 Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL) sub
7 January 2016 D-ABLB Germania 0 Las Palmas-Airport de Gran Canaria (LPA/GCLP) non
15 October 2021 SU-TMM FlyEgypt 0 Cluj-Napoca International Airport (CLJ/LRCL) min
Tire failure

Location

Images:


photo (c) AIAI; Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV); 28 March 2018


photo (c) René Verschuur; Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI/LEPA); 24 July 2016


photo (c) Werner Fischdick; Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS/EDDL); 14 July 2018

Revision history:

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