Description

On 19 December 2013, a Boeing 777-200 (9V-SRP) being operated by Singapore Airlines in a scheduled passenger flight from Mumbai to Singapore ingested an empty cargo container into the left engine as it taxied onto the designated arrival gate at Terminal 2 at Singapore with normal daylight visibility. The engine sustained serious damage and had to be replaced. No persons on the aircraft or on the ground were injured.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Singapore Air Accident Investigation Bureau.

It was established that the ingested container and two attached baggage trailers had been wholly within the designated Equipment Restraint Area (ERA) of the designated arrival gate F37 at the time the gate entry guidance system had been switched on by the ground service provider personnel covering the arrival of the accident aircraft. They were located just clear of the red hatched area marking the extent of the Passenger Loading Bridge (PLB) safety zone.

It was also noted that the commander of the arriving aircraft had observed that the aircraft docking guidance system was not switched on as the gate area was approached and had stopped the aircraft prior to gate entry for approximately 20 seconds until it was.