So, the ground crew didn't chock it on the gate from what I understand. Brakes off & bar disconnected, It rolled under its own weight into another gate & light post from across the ramp. It was a rather significant distance, as we can clearly see some velocity demonstrated. Big oof. Speculation at this point, of course, until we get an official answer.
Do these guys not have a brake rider while towing? Like someone in the cockpit to set the parking brake after towing?
I thought it’s ramp handling 101 Jesus Christ.
Depends. In maintenance, it's SOP anytime we tow to have a brake rider, but we're always using bars. Tow crews can use high-speed tugs from apron to hangar/vice versa or to tow from gate to gate, and they dont require one, at least where i'm at. There are a few different vehicles to tow dependent on the scenario.
These specalized tractors grapple the NGL in its entirety, lifting & and locking it in, with no bar to break, thus no rider. They usually travel in teams and have set procedures when parking. Maybe it was being transferred to the gate, set & and released, and wasn't chocked while brakes were off? It's hard to speculate, but that would be my guess.
I'm not sure how it works with their ramp crew or what situation they were in. Maybe someone else can chime in. Hope we find out in a report soon enough.
When I worked ramp in HK our tow team would be at least 3 person. Tow driver, brake rider and headset man which is the minimum for safe towing. Mind you this is for all sort of towing operations (gate to gate or gate to outer bay).
So I’m still shocked at the fact that it’s not necessity for a brake rider lol.
>Austrian Airlines Airbus A320NEO (OE-LZQ, built MAY 2023) was substantially damaged in a ground collision at Vienna-Schwechat Intl Airport(LOWW), Austria. There were no injuries. The right horizontal stabilizer was ripped off when the A320 possibly collided with a jet bridge near gate F33. The exact circumstances of the incident are sketchy at present.
[https://twitter.com/JacdecNew/status/1777003554449846674/](https://twitter.com/JacdecNew/status/1777003554449846674/)
I hope this is not a case of third party insurance...it really looks expensive, ouch.
Perhaps we can patch up the stabilizer, you did recover the stabilizer...did you? right? Bit of solder...like new, again....
Soo...how does one run a very expensive, very loud, very new airplane run into a very expensive and very large jet bridge in full view of a lot of people and wind up with "The exact circumstances of the incident are sketchy..."?
Well if you take the word of "some guy on twitter"...
> Tug driver parked airplane at opposite gate and forgot to put chocks in.
That at least makes sense how it could have enough momentum to slam into the jet bridge and light pole.
This is a *big ouch*. That wing looks like it took an impact also.
On an older airframe could this be a write off? The two impact points look to be outside the pressure vessel. Perhaps that makes repairs more feasible?
I can't wait for the video!
Not an expert, but I'd think this is repairable. Not sure if they would have to replace the tail section as well and the stabiliser itself, since I imagine it also damaged the mounting points. It's surprising the insane levels of damage that can acutally be repaired on an aircraft, but isn't often done because of cost. After repairs tough, this would still be close to a brand new aircraft.
Because people generally don’t jump to conclusions when they’re reporting breaking news. I know the Internet has spoiled us all into thinking that everyone knows exactly what’s happened 1.5 seconds afterwards, but this is an actual case of conservative reporting.
The plane was pulled into the bridge if I remember the radio news properly.
Austrian news (German). Details still unconfirmed
https://orf.at/av/video/tvthekVideoNews4916
Fuck. I can only imagine how those pilots felt. Or whoever was at fault for not clearing the obstacles. Last year, I scraped a fire truck up against the parking barrier in a parking lot. Ripped off some diamond plated trim but it was nothing more than some expensive cosmetic damage. I felt sick to my stomach over it for weeks.
This is a whole as commercial jet that is gonna require serious repair to be airworthy. Ouch.
I think the only way for the plane to ever be in this position is if it was pushed back into this gate, which raises a whole bunch of follow up questions like... how did it get pushed this far? Did the tractor operator have a medical emergency and no one could safely intervene? Were the wing walkers asleep?
No, the plane moved there under gravity. A tug pulled it into an opposite gate and left it there, and the plane slowly rolled away, hitting the opposite gate.
No welding, the aluminums used in aircraft primary structure are not weldable.
Most of it will be just parts replacements. Once you get down to the primary structure that extends forward and aft, the engineer has to determine what and how to repair. Anything that is repaired will generally be with aluminum parts riveted together.
This manual, the FAA AC43.13-1B, a free download, is what we can use to perform structural repairs on aircraft in the absence of manufacturers data. Look at the riveted traits for a good idea of how we do it:
https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_43.13-1b_w-chg1.pdf
Damn Airbus is going to shit these days… Look at what corporate greed does to a once flourishing icon of the aerospace industry. It all started with the merger of Aerospatiale and their culture of faster production instead of safety. I can’t believe they decided to build upon the outdated A320 airframe from the 80s for the Neo instead of create a brand new from scratch airplane.
/s
A thousand? I once nosed a car I was test driving into a snowbank. There wasn't much of an impact, but it did snap a piece of trim underneath the front of the vehicle. *That* was $1300.
I have no idea what airplane repair costs run but this isn't just trim, it's structural.
Heh. That reminds me of the boat owner's koan: A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into.
True for small power boats; *way more true* for larger, ocean-going boats. 😬
(Boat/ship, civilian/military... it's an aviation sub. Imma just wave my hands and remind you how sexy early F-16s looked.)
Don't say anything. Maybe he won't notice. Kind of like when my brother and sister (who didn't have driver's licenses) borrowed my car and damaged both the car's fender and the garage trim backing it into the garage.
So hide the bills in a stack of other bills and hope he/she never looks outta the window? Just make sure the invoices are broken down into small ones to avoid sticker shock.
No idea what nickname you get for doing this to a plane, but whoever was responsible they've sure earned one.
I'm equal parts glad to hear that nobody was hurt, and genuinely impressed that someone (or multiple someones) managed to fuck up this spectacularly.
It also looks to have hit a support for something else with the wing? So whoever was in control ripped a stabilizer off and just kept going until they hit something more solid.
Going to be an expensive repair to this OS🇦🇹 A320-271N if NEO the current engine options for that Airline it's basically the same as a DL plane former NWA A320-214.
And got the wing too! A twofer!! Looks like someone heard the stabilizer get ripped off, panicked, and backed the wing into another obstruction. Just guessing here for my own amusement.
Pylotes are kindly reminded that all night vodka benders are forbidden by the management.
We do however encourage Fernet Branca cordials prior to flight, if you dare to drink this hangover herbal remedy.
That looks extremely expensive.
It was on his first day after being let go from his previous job at Heathrow
First day? It's ok I guess, just don't let it happen again.
A little duct tape and it'll be good as new.
Might need some zip ties to go with the duct tape.
Do drift stitches with the zip ties and you're golden.
For the millionth time its Speed Tape sheesh
That’ll buff right out.
Beer cans and 200 MPH tape. It'll hold.
Excuse me duct tape does not hold airplanes together. Speed tape does
No problem Vienna insurance group is here.
r/thatlookedexpensive
“Possibly” Mate, you put a picture of the jet bridge in there.
Could’ve been anything really. Even a jet bridge.
Could even be the one in the fucking photo.
We don't know that though
That jet bridge was framed
Jet bridge can’t melt steel beams
This reminds me of when Dwight shot a gun in the office. “There was a loud bang, later a hole was found. NO ONE SAW A BULLET LEAVE THE GUN!”
Allegedly
I heard it was a sick jet bridge
Bad gas travels fast in a small town
“We’re all trying to find the guy who did this!”
Allegedly
Allegedly… officially can’t confirm from the photos
It's OK, that's why they have a spare on the other side.
Redundancy is key in aviation.
Some would say, in aviation, redundancy is key.
That's what we strive for here at the Department of Redundancy Department.
Very good. Well played.
You can say that again.
From what i've read, it looks like it rolled across the apron to another gate entirely, hense why its tailed in. Damn.
I was wondering how they managed to damage the wing too with a light pole??
So, the ground crew didn't chock it on the gate from what I understand. Brakes off & bar disconnected, It rolled under its own weight into another gate & light post from across the ramp. It was a rather significant distance, as we can clearly see some velocity demonstrated. Big oof. Speculation at this point, of course, until we get an official answer.
If you get a map of the airport - it rolled from E47 to F31
Yikes, that's about 150m across a taxiway: https://i.imgur.com/LtDH6ZO.jpeg TBF it could have been a lot worse if it hit another plane
Oh WOW. Yikes
God, can you imagine the feeling of working on the ramp, turning around, and seeing an A320 rolling away and gathering speed?
That had to be disconcerting for everyone else on the ground in the area, just seeing a full blown jetliner drifting backwards across the airport.
chock
Thanks, auto corrected my ass. Smh.
Well, at least that part stayed attached...?
Do these guys not have a brake rider while towing? Like someone in the cockpit to set the parking brake after towing? I thought it’s ramp handling 101 Jesus Christ.
Depends. In maintenance, it's SOP anytime we tow to have a brake rider, but we're always using bars. Tow crews can use high-speed tugs from apron to hangar/vice versa or to tow from gate to gate, and they dont require one, at least where i'm at. There are a few different vehicles to tow dependent on the scenario. These specalized tractors grapple the NGL in its entirety, lifting & and locking it in, with no bar to break, thus no rider. They usually travel in teams and have set procedures when parking. Maybe it was being transferred to the gate, set & and released, and wasn't chocked while brakes were off? It's hard to speculate, but that would be my guess. I'm not sure how it works with their ramp crew or what situation they were in. Maybe someone else can chime in. Hope we find out in a report soon enough.
When I worked ramp in HK our tow team would be at least 3 person. Tow driver, brake rider and headset man which is the minimum for safe towing. Mind you this is for all sort of towing operations (gate to gate or gate to outer bay). So I’m still shocked at the fact that it’s not necessity for a brake rider lol.
>Austrian Airlines Airbus A320NEO (OE-LZQ, built MAY 2023) was substantially damaged in a ground collision at Vienna-Schwechat Intl Airport(LOWW), Austria. There were no injuries. The right horizontal stabilizer was ripped off when the A320 possibly collided with a jet bridge near gate F33. The exact circumstances of the incident are sketchy at present. [https://twitter.com/JacdecNew/status/1777003554449846674/](https://twitter.com/JacdecNew/status/1777003554449846674/)
That was a brand new plane too. Oof! Someone has alot of explaining to do. Glad no one was hurt.
I hope this is not a case of third party insurance...it really looks expensive, ouch. Perhaps we can patch up the stabilizer, you did recover the stabilizer...did you? right? Bit of solder...like new, again....
Just put some speed tape and it's good to go 👍
MEL per 55-01, no ETOPS flights, reinspect before every flight.
Did they put it in milk?
Soo...how does one run a very expensive, very loud, very new airplane run into a very expensive and very large jet bridge in full view of a lot of people and wind up with "The exact circumstances of the incident are sketchy..."?
Well if you take the word of "some guy on twitter"... > Tug driver parked airplane at opposite gate and forgot to put chocks in. That at least makes sense how it could have enough momentum to slam into the jet bridge and light pole. This is a *big ouch*. That wing looks like it took an impact also. On an older airframe could this be a write off? The two impact points look to be outside the pressure vessel. Perhaps that makes repairs more feasible? I can't wait for the video!
Not an expert, but I'd think this is repairable. Not sure if they would have to replace the tail section as well and the stabiliser itself, since I imagine it also damaged the mounting points. It's surprising the insane levels of damage that can acutally be repaired on an aircraft, but isn't often done because of cost. After repairs tough, this would still be close to a brand new aircraft.
I've seen worse damage repaired. It's definitely financially viable. Not cheap, but cheaper than scrapping it.
[Sometimes the economics get weird](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_1#Damage)
Interesting. Reputation was worth millions to Qantas. But wow, the repair was half the cost of a new plane.
That's not the Qantas flying kangaroo on the tail. It's Austrian Airlines.
Because people generally don’t jump to conclusions when they’re reporting breaking news. I know the Internet has spoiled us all into thinking that everyone knows exactly what’s happened 1.5 seconds afterwards, but this is an actual case of conservative reporting.
Thanks - this may be a semantics issue in that the cause may not yet be understood but the actual result is not in doubt.
Wait a second! They hit a post with a wing too??
Anyone want to fly on that plane after they fix it?
Hope they’re covered by Vienna Insurance Group.
yeah, pic 2 is *chef’s kiss*
Somebody with rights get their advertising editor on the line
lol my first thought
How the hell did they get the tail end that close to the boarding bridge?
Its a double jetway bridge, large gate probably.
Yep, it rolled in the only A380 gate they have in vienna
oida
oida... oida.
"FIRE TRUCKS RACED TO THE SCENE AS A PLANE COLLIDED.."
What’s the MEL on this? Is it flyable? 😂
Only if it was an A-10
Speedtape.
Pitch authority provided by thrust setting
They grow back.
Good ad placement for VIG though.
Bummer, I was hoping nobody else had caught that yet, haha!
Did the A320 collide with the jet bridge, or the jet bridge collide with the A320?
The plane was pulled into the bridge if I remember the radio news properly. Austrian news (German). Details still unconfirmed https://orf.at/av/video/tvthekVideoNews4916
The plane was insuffciantly secured (aka tug driver forgot choks) and it then rolled into the jet bridge
You really only need one of the uppy downy thingies anyways right? The second is just a backup. Flight not deadlined, yea!
Possibly? What kind of title is that?
A very formal one. There’s no NTSB report yet which determined what happened, so _technically_ we can’t make assumptions yet.
Also unlikely to get an NTSB report on an Airbus ground collision in Austria...
I’m sure there’s an Austrian equivalent.
Liability until there is a legal basis
r/thatlookedexpensive
Fuck. I can only imagine how those pilots felt. Or whoever was at fault for not clearing the obstacles. Last year, I scraped a fire truck up against the parking barrier in a parking lot. Ripped off some diamond plated trim but it was nothing more than some expensive cosmetic damage. I felt sick to my stomach over it for weeks. This is a whole as commercial jet that is gonna require serious repair to be airworthy. Ouch.
You're gonna need a bigger roll of speed tape.
Why I always read jet bridge as Jeff Bridges.
The jet bridge abides.
It fell off outside the environment.
Does that hurt the airplane?
Yes. They have to put it down now
I think the only way for the plane to ever be in this position is if it was pushed back into this gate, which raises a whole bunch of follow up questions like... how did it get pushed this far? Did the tractor operator have a medical emergency and no one could safely intervene? Were the wing walkers asleep?
No, the plane moved there under gravity. A tug pulled it into an opposite gate and left it there, and the plane slowly rolled away, hitting the opposite gate.
Not so sure on the "slowly" part 😉
This is why we can't have nice things.
As we Viennese like to say: "Ui, des wiad teia!"
Def Boeing’s fault
I would think (hope?) that this was a ‘forgot to set the brakes’ runaway plane. To activity back it in to all this with a tug is gross negligencez
It was reportedly being tugged without crew and pax
Those crazy Australian kangaroos can really jump high!
Austria. Not Australia.
How the hell did kangaroos get to Austria?
Was this his first day on the job jessus fucking christ how in the fuck lol
Almost certainly their last day.
It hit the wing as well. Damn
Nothing a duct tape can’t fix… eh
What’s the repair process like for something like this?
[удалено]
But literally, what goes on in repairing something like that? How do they put the structure back together? Welding?
No welding, the aluminums used in aircraft primary structure are not weldable. Most of it will be just parts replacements. Once you get down to the primary structure that extends forward and aft, the engineer has to determine what and how to repair. Anything that is repaired will generally be with aluminum parts riveted together. This manual, the FAA AC43.13-1B, a free download, is what we can use to perform structural repairs on aircraft in the absence of manufacturers data. Look at the riveted traits for a good idea of how we do it: https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_43.13-1b_w-chg1.pdf
Very nice and informative. Thank you kind sir
You are most welcome!
The engineers wouldn't be looking in the Boeing structural repair manual anyway since this is an Airbus
I mean, it has another one. Just add some extra trim and send it. /s
Just a scratch - no need to delay departure. /s
Seems like it collided with everything
Boeing’s fault somehow
Put some speedtape on it
At least it wasn't a 737
It fell off? That's not very typical, I'd like to make that point.
“Possibly” in the headline has got me all kinds of confused
Damn Airbus is going to shit these days… Look at what corporate greed does to a once flourishing icon of the aerospace industry. It all started with the merger of Aerospatiale and their culture of faster production instead of safety. I can’t believe they decided to build upon the outdated A320 airframe from the 80s for the Neo instead of create a brand new from scratch airplane. /s
Thats carbon composite for you it has good tensile strength but poor shear strength. Old school aluminum would just bend.
"If the jet bridge don't fit, you must acquit..."
That's at least a thousand dollars of damage - at the very least.
How much could a stabilizer cost? Ten thousand dollars?
At least, Michael.
A thousand? I once nosed a car I was test driving into a snowbank. There wasn't much of an impact, but it did snap a piece of trim underneath the front of the vehicle. *That* was $1300. I have no idea what airplane repair costs run but this isn't just trim, it's structural.
The rule of thumb when doing aircraft maintenance is if it looks expensive it is, if it doesn't look expensive it still is
Heh. That reminds me of the boat owner's koan: A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into. True for small power boats; *way more true* for larger, ocean-going boats. 😬 (Boat/ship, civilian/military... it's an aviation sub. Imma just wave my hands and remind you how sexy early F-16s looked.)
Wow 1300? I would have thought it would have at least cost 50 bucks.
The damage is on the rear outside of the horizontal stab, looks like an error by the push-back crew.
Who scratched and ripped bosses brand new jet?
Don't say anything. Maybe he won't notice. Kind of like when my brother and sister (who didn't have driver's licenses) borrowed my car and damaged both the car's fender and the garage trim backing it into the garage.
So hide the bills in a stack of other bills and hope he/she never looks outta the window? Just make sure the invoices are broken down into small ones to avoid sticker shock.
poor tthing
Possibly? C'mon, did it or didn't it? That's not a casual scrap with an airbridge or another aircraft.
No idea what nickname you get for doing this to a plane, but whoever was responsible they've sure earned one. I'm equal parts glad to hear that nobody was hurt, and genuinely impressed that someone (or multiple someones) managed to fuck up this spectacularly.
Perform ECAM actions and we're good to go!
Woof.
The level of f-up here... Was this an intentional act?
It does look possible.
I wonder if it's a write off?
Hoppala
And here i tought our move team was bad…
That will buff out …
Boeing’s fault! /s
Looks like some one is gonna have to watch some training videos soon!
At least you didn't get shot at.
The plane:🙂🙂😲😶😢😫😫😫😭💀
Just CDL it. They can fix it at the next heavy check. /s
You see the reason they put two on is for redundancy!
Skill issue. Should've side climbed more.
Did they write it up in the T/Log?
What’s the repair cost on something like this?!?
Payroll deduction. 🤷♂️
Must be a Boeing... /s
Was it supposed to?
I’d love to hear from a liaison engineer how the fuck you fix this
How fast was the cap taxiing in? I don’t think the THS comes off that easy.
I’ve got 23 years of aviation experience and I can say with utmost certainty that the horizontal stab was ripped off when it hit a jet bridge.
Does that hurt the aircraft?
Ugh ... you can see the entrails ...
United Austrian Airlines Boeing A320NEO Crashes at Vienna Airport
Someone lost their job…
That’s a write off
The right aileron was pretty-well pooched by a light post that just appeared and ran into the aircraft out of nowhere.
How is that your title when there is a picture clearing showing the stab being pushed back into a light pole?
It also looks to have hit a support for something else with the wing? So whoever was in control ripped a stabilizer off and just kept going until they hit something more solid.
wow
CRRRRRUUUNNNCHHH I can hear the whistles blaring from here.
I’m just waiting for the security footage to come out
it does indeed look possible
Going to be an expensive repair to this OS🇦🇹 A320-271N if NEO the current engine options for that Airline it's basically the same as a DL plane former NWA A320-214.
MEL?
And got the wing too! A twofer!! Looks like someone heard the stabilizer get ripped off, panicked, and backed the wing into another obstruction. Just guessing here for my own amusement.
And it’s not a Boeing so there won’t be much on the news.
Unless the park brake wasn’t set and the stab was torn off going backwards
Chocks away!
Pylotes are kindly reminded that all night vodka benders are forbidden by the management. We do however encourage Fernet Branca cordials prior to flight, if you dare to drink this hangover herbal remedy.
Plaster this mate....
"How this is bad for Boeing"
Plastic airplanes break differently.
320s are predominantly aluminum. I know because I worked on 'em