Catering truck causes grief to Porter airlines

[pelmet]

Upon returning to the catering hangar at Toronto/Billy Bishop Toronto City, ON (CYTZ), the upper beacon of a catering truck was found to be dislodged and damaged. The airline operator, Porter Airlines, was contacted and the last two aircraft catered by this truck were identified. As these aircraft were already airborne, they were recalled back to CYTZ. A post flight inspection did not locate any damage on these aircraft. All other aircraft that were catered by this vehicle were inspected and no damage was found. Finally, the remainder of the fleet was inspected. Damage was found on the outboard flap track canoe fairing of C-GLQC a de Havilland DHC-8-402 aircraft operated by Porter as flight POE431, which had landed in Halifax/Stanfield Intl, NS (CYHZ) at 2139 (EST).

[Saxub]

Someone didn't do their once around visual check before departure.....

[Nark]

Someone didn't do their once around visual check before departure.....

Not sure how Porter works and their SOP's, but the regional airline I worked for and the major airline I currently work for require a walk around by the flight crew, however this is a prime example of a walk around accomplished, yet ground crew come along after and ding the aircraft, completely oblivious to the flight crew.

I shouldn't tag the ground crew as stereotypically incompetent, however spend an hour at O'hare, or any other major airport (where the word "heavy" is used on the radio) and watch. On the macro scale, they make it really hard no to paint the occupation as a bunch of misfits.

Dragging chocks, no ground guides, driving under the wings, exceeding speed limits, driving in front of taxiing aircraft etc...

[Saxub]

I don't fly at the regional level yet, is it normal to have a catering truck finish after your walk around? Isn't the point of a last 360 to make sure the plane is ready to go after anyone who has touched it is gone?

I know in an ideal world that would be best, but I guess it can't always be that way if you're dealing with an airline at a big airport...

[PositiveRate27]

I don't fly at the regional level yet, is it normal to have a catering truck finish after your walk around? Isn't the point of a last 360 to make sure the plane is ready to go after anyone who has touched it is gone?

I know in an ideal world that would be best, but I guess it can't always be that way if you're dealing with an airline at a big airport...

The regional where I work it's almost impossible to wait until absolutely everyone else has accomplished their jobs before we can complete our walk around. We do a walk around when we arrive at the aircraft and then the ramp lead does a final lap around the airplane looking for damage just prior to push back.

[plhought]

...driving under the wings...

Ya that's a pet peeve of mine. No reason to be fudging around under the wings no matter how big the airplane. You just don't know if you'll clear.

[pdw]

During fueling one wing might be lowest until the other is filled up to same level. Halifax is on the farthest route, would imagine the most fuel on board total. Would the other routes ever require full fuel ? Why hit the light on that one now if going under all the time is no problem ?

[plhought]

Catering truck doesn't need to be anywhere near the wings period. Fueling or not.

Guys was taking shortcuts obviously and smoked the flap canoe. Simple. Dont' f***ing drive under the wings.

[pelmet]

Seems to still be happening, this time on a taxiway.....

C-GGNJ, a Cessna 150M aircraft operated by Island Air Flight School & Charters, was on a taxiway at Billy Bishop Toronto City, ON (CYTZ) when a catering truck hit its left wing. The instructor and the student were not injured, however the aircraft's left outboard wing was
substantially damaged.

[crazyaviator]

I can imagine a C-130 but a

C-GGNJ, a Cessna 150M aircraft operated by Island Air Flight School & Charters, was on a taxiway at Billy Bishop Toronto City, ON (CYTZ) when a catering truck hit its left wing. The instructor and the student were not injured, however the aircraft's left outboard wing was
substantially damaged.

having a catering truck delivering food supplies is a little far fetched isnt it ?

[crazyaviator]

Perhaps i am wrong,,, If a C-130 can take 100 passengers, how many can a C-150 take ?

[DCL415]

No GGNJ! That C-150 was my first flight, I hope they can fix it

[linecrew]

Dragging chocks,...etc...

How is dragging a chock detrimental to the integrity of said chock? As a former rampy for a few decades, I don't get it.

[GyvAir]

Dragging chocks,...etc...

How is dragging a chock detrimental to the integrity of said chock? As a former rampy for a few decades, I don't get it.

It does grind the corners off over time. Especially when people hang them carelessly off the sides of ramp vehicles and drive around with them dragging.
I avoid dragging them as much as possible for this reason though:

[jg24]

No one should be driving under wings, regardless of size of vehicle or aircraft. That is why we put cones in front of nose or just outside the wingtip, to show where you should not drive. And a 'final' walkaround by flight crew after everyone is done messing around with the aircraft is nearly impossible. Usually on regionals and bigger, the flight crew do it fairly early. So there are plenty of opportunities for things to get dinged later. Ground staff should keep their eyes open (1 for safety of themselves and others, and 2 to report any anomalies they may spot). Some companies/ground ops services have the ramp lead do a final check once everyone is completely done and doors are closed.

[photofly]

I can imagine a C-130 but a

C-GGNJ, a Cessna 150M aircraft operated by Island Air Flight School & Charters, was on a taxiway at Billy Bishop Toronto City, ON (CYTZ) when a catering truck hit its left wing. The instructor and the student were not injured, however the aircraft's left outboard wing was
substantially damaged.

having a catering truck delivering food supplies is a little far fetched isnt it ?

In flight meal service is all part of the package when you learn to fly at CYTZ.

Chicken or beef, anyone?

[Nark]

Dragging chocks,...etc...

How is dragging a chock detrimental to the integrity of said chock? As a former rampy for a few decades, I don't get it.

It shows the extreme lack of situational awareness.

[linecrew]

Dragging chocks,...etc...

How is dragging a chock detrimental to the integrity of said chock? As a former rampy for a few decades, I don't get it.

It shows the extreme lack of situational awareness.

I see that I have brought a gun to t knife fight...

What, on earth, do you even mean by lack of situational awareness?

Where I was employed, we had huge solid rubber chocks that were several feet long (essentially logs of rubber) for use on larger aircraft. The only way to get them to and from the mains were to drag them by the rope that was attached to the end of each chock. The chocks were not damaged by this in any way. Nobody considered rounded corners on the end as being "damaged".

[Nark]

Linecrew,

I see the disconnect here. What I meant to convey is driving vehicles while the chocks are being dragged.

[linecrew]

Linecrew,

I see the disconnect here. What I meant to convey is driving vehicles while the chocks are being dragged.

Noted. Yeah, that's a paddlin'.