Runaway fuel truck collides with commercial plane at Terrace

[Widow]

Runaway fuel truck collides with commercial plane at Terrace airport

Chris Parry, Vancouver Sun
Published: Sunday, July 13, 2008

A potentially catastrophic incident took place at Terrace Airport last Thursday at 2:20pm when an unattended fuel truck rolled nearly 100 metres across a runway apron before colliding with a plane being prepared for a flight to Vancouver.

According to a Transport Canada incident report, the driver of the vehicle 'was distracted to another area away from the truck', leaving it in gear and running.

The unattended vehicle began to roll, and kept rolling until it hit the nose of a parked commercial Hawkair Aviation Services Dehavilland DH8A plane.

The collision resulted in no injuries and minor damage to both the plane and the truck.

There has been no official word as of yet on the amount of fuel in the truck at the time of the incident, nor on any disciplinary action towards the driver, though the incident report stated that the truck was found in gear and the parking brake was not applied at the time of the collision.

http://www.canada.com:80/vancouversun/n ... ea5382f8fe

[square]

Can't cure stupid

[Adam Oke]

Must be a terrorist attack .... why isn't this stated in the new report?? It's clear, spelled out, black and white. I mean everything else is linked to terrorist attacks why not this situtation?

[Captain S itmagnet]

Typical media screwup...

CADORS says occurence was at 1440Z, newspaper reporter says 1420PDT. It happened at 1440Z, and there was a NOTAM to the effect that there was no fuel available issued that morning.

CSM

[joco]

Must be a terrorist attack .... why isn't this stated in the new report?? It's clear, spelled out, black and white. I mean everything else is linked to terrorist attacks why not this situtation?

I guess that the truck driver has such fair skin .... you know the rest.

joco.

[Doc]

Funny thing is, I was in Terrace when it happened. I've never been to Terrace before, and I'll probably never be there again. We were lucky enough to have taken fuel the night before. I feel for the driver. It was his first or second day on the job. The Shell guys in Terrace are feeling pretty down in the dumps over it. They (Shell guys) have been unable to recreate the incident. So, the jury is still out as to the cause. As of yesterday, at least. It hit the nose of Hawkair's Dash 8, and did some structural damage as well as taking out the radar. Hawkair had to bring in an aircraft from YYC to replace the damaged plane. Can you say "insurance" claim?

[Airbrake]

Doc, the west coast is a looong way from N. Ont. How is the heck did you find your way out there without getting lost?

I remember days we were concerned getting from ypm to yrl....


I guess your all grown up now!

[Doc]

We were trying to get to Hawaii, and we had head winds. Actually, we were out of YVR on a charter to YZF. Loooong story. Really enjoyed the change of pace, though. Pretty country. Even had a drink (only one, honest) at the Flying Beaver Bar!

[FamilyGuy]

I'm confused by all of this.

If TV and movies have taught me one thing its that if a fuel truck hits an airplane there's supposed to be an earth shattering explosion?

Where was the earth shattering explosion???

I dont' think a fuel truck could have hit this airplane - I think it was the Honey truck and now someone is covered in s***

[snowshoe]

Is Hawkair also the fuel dealer or is the fuel a totally different company?

[L1011]

Good that no one was hurt, and even better that it happened to Hawk! HAHAHAHAHA!

[altiplano]

-.

[hazatude]

This is why interlocks were invented...and why new guys should never know about the interlock overrides.

[MUSKEG]

Don't see how interlocks would prevent anything here. They only engage when nozzle is out of the craddle and no where does it say that the truck was servicing another aircraft. The fact that it rolled 100 meters suggests to me that the driver was not in the vacinity and in a location where he couldn't see the truck. That is why I cringe when I see fueling companies employ green as grass people who have no experience on anything but their Honda civic but are turned loose on larger trucks because they only cost 10 bucks an hour to employ.

[sheephunter]

Honda Civic / Honda ATV or whatever... you leave it running, in gear and get out, chances are when you come back it will be gone. Someone without a drivers license?

[Team Firecracker]

Just super duper.....now all us fuel guys will have to fill out a log sheet every time we get in and out of the vehicle to ensure brake engagement/disengagement and thus remove liability from the oil company. I'm not joking either....they'll seriously consider it. I got an alert the other day to be careful on ladders....duhhhhh.

[hazatude]

Don't see how interlocks would prevent anything here. They only engage when nozzle is out of the craddle and no where does it say that the truck was servicing another aircraft. The fact that it rolled 100 meters suggests to me that the driver was not in the vacinity and in a location where he couldn't see the truck. That is why I cringe when I see fueling companies employ green as grass people who have no experience on anything but their Honda civic but are turned loose on larger trucks because they only cost 10 bucks an hour to employ.

Most larger fuel companies have gone interlock crazy with them on the doors etc.

UPS contract fueling makes you chock the tires before commencing fueling.

Proper training is your only friend in this business though.

[2R]

Don't see how interlocks would prevent anything here. They only engage when nozzle is out of the craddle and no where does it say that the truck was servicing another aircraft. The fact that it rolled 100 meters suggests to me that the driver was not in the vacinity and in a location where he couldn't see the truck. That is why I cringe when I see fueling companies employ green as grass people who have no experience on anything but their Honda civic but are turned loose on larger trucks because they only cost 10 bucks an hour to employ.

Most larger fuel companies have gone interlock crazy with them on the doors etc.

UPS contract fueling makes you chock the tires before commencing fueling.

Proper training is your only friend in this business though.

When you make it IDIOT PROOF .Mother nature improves the IDIOT

[BoostedNihilist]

When you make it IDIOT PROOF .Mother nature improves the IDIOT

priceless... I want to steal that one for my sig.

[AEROMONKEY]

He's right now all of us fuel guys will be getting memos on how to properly set the brakes ...The fuel gods love to flood us with memos.... or "Safety Watches" as they like to call them.......and yes i got the one about how to use a ladder safely too!