This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/manchester/8509554.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Airport acts after two collisions Airport acts after two collisions
(about 1 hour later)
Procedures have been tightened at Manchester Airport after two incidents of planes striking other aircraft while taxiing, accident investigators said. Air traffic controllers at Manchester Airport have changed instructions to pilots after confusion led to taxiing planes colliding.
All four aircraft involved in the two separate incidents were damaged - but none of the 468 passengers was hurt. Aircraft involved in the two collisions in 2007 and 2008 were damaged, but none of the 468 passengers was hurt.
Both incidents, in 2007 and 2008, involved the wings of one aircraft striking the tail area of another. The pilot of the Boeing 737, which struck the tail of a passing plane, said the words "give way" confused him.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said airport authorities had since made changes to procedures. A report, by the Air Accident Investigations Branch, prompted the airport to withdraw the term.
Two separate reports detailing the incidents have been published by the AAIB. Instead, the pilot told investigators, air traffic controllers should use the phrase "hold position".
In the first, the wing tip of a Pakistan International Airways (PIA) Boeing 777, with 144 passengers aboard, struck the rudder of a 37-passenger Q400 aircraft operated by Flybe as it passed behind it. The confusion between the pilot and controllers led to the right winglet of the Tenerife-bound Boeing 737 hitting the tail of a 107-passenger Lufthansa Airbus A320 which had been due to fly to Frankfurt.
'Crew warned' Crews warned
Both aircraft were about to leave Manchester at about midday on 15 February 2007.
The AAIB said the crew of the PIA aircraft had been "cautioned about the presence" of the Flybe aircraft.
In the second report, the AAIB said the right winglet of a Tenerife-bound Boeing 737 struck the tail of a 107-passenger Lufthansa Airbus A320 which had been due to fly to Frankfurt.
The Boeing, operated by the now non-operational Spanish airline Futura, had 180 passengers aboard during the collision on 5 August 2008.The Boeing, operated by the now non-operational Spanish airline Futura, had 180 passengers aboard during the collision on 5 August 2008.
The crew believed there were no obstacles in the way and they had room to get past the A320, the report said.The crew believed there were no obstacles in the way and they had room to get past the A320, the report said.
Following the August 2008 incident, Manchester Airport authorities reviewed taxiing procedures and made changes, the AAIB report said. In the other incident in 2007, the wing tip of a Pakistan International Airways (PIA) Boeing 777, with 144 passengers on board, struck the rudder of a 37-passenger Q400 aircraft operated by Flybe as it passed behind it.
Both aircraft were about to leave Manchester at about midday on 15 February 2007.
The AAIB said the crew of the PIA aircraft had been "cautioned about the presence" of the Flybe aircraft.
The pilot told the watchdog he thought there was enough room to proceed, and he expected a further warning if there was a problem.
The airport authorities have since made a number changes to procedures.