Airport is Multi-Operator Environment where Safety Hinges on Cooperation and Adherence to Instructions

The Safety Investigation Authority,  Finland (SIAF) has completed an investigation into an accident that occurred on the apron of Helsinki airport on August 16, 2025, when a parked ATR-500 airplane moved inadvertently forward after engine start and impacted a ground power unit causing substantial damage.

“The primary cause of the accident was that the airplane’s parking brake was not set. However, a major underlying factor was that work practices have occasionally deviated from procedures prescribed in applicable documents; in other words, people do not always follow instructions. Luckily the ground handling service provider’s dispatcher managed to dash to safety in the nick of time when he noted that the airplane was moving and was not injured,” explains the investigator-in-charge Janne Kotiranta.

“Sometimes it may appear that the SIAF is activated even after minor fender benders. But in aviation in particular, international regulations decree that the threshold for investigation is low, which is only good in view of the large amounts of people and cargo that are carried in airplanes every day. Investigation into this particular accident revealed deficiencies in each stage of the process starting from airplane towing up to and including the completion of rescue service actions,” states Kotiranta.

Also, the flight crew did not fully complete the post-impact actions.

“The level of the flight crew’s and air traffic controllers’ situational awareness is of significance in order to ensure timely and adequate emergency response,” adds Kotiranta.

The SIAF issued three safety recommendations. They are related to interfaces between various stakeholders, to standard operating procedures, and to compliance with instructions.

Link to summary and investigation report

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