From the Author

Part of the responsibility of any personnel

involved in the ground operation of the aircraft
is to be knowledgeable of the correct
emergency procedures in the case of an
accident or incident. Ground servicing
personnel are considered as the first
responders and the primary person responsible
for reporting the occurrence of any unwanted
events.
Because of this, the NAA and through the
initiative of each aviation organization, all
personnel involved in the ground operation of
the aircraft is trained to respond to the
following accidents and incidents:

Towbar Disconnection - The towbar is

constantly subjected to a large amount of
compression and tension force whenever it
is connected between the aircraft and the
tow tug. While the towbar is specifically
designed to handle such high levels of force,
reasons such as poor towbar maintenance
and towing accidents can fail and eventual
disconnection of the towbar.

10-1 Aircraft Ground Handling and Marshalling / Book 1

A towbar can be disconnected either from
the aircraft side or the tow tug side. A
towbar is normally disconnected on either
the “towing eye” which is the part
connected to the tow tug or by the “towing
head” which is connected to the nose
landing gear of the aircraft. Nevertheless, it
is important that the ground servicing crew
is known to respond to both occurrences.

In the event of a towbar disconnection, the

ground crew must immediately inform the
flight crew through the communications
headset to engage the aircraft’s brakes
while commanding the tow tug operator to
increase the distance between the tow tug
and the aircraft. This procedure is very
important as the immediate braking of the
aircraft will prevent it from moving without
the control of the tow operator, remember
large commercial aircraft do not have
control over their steering when it is being
towed.

Sheared Bolt - To properly address towbar

disconnection, manufacturers have
developed an additional layer of redundancy
in its safety design. This design is the
component called the “Shear Bolt”. This bolt
absorbs the excessive stress caused by the
compression and tension force during the
operation of the towbar.

If the shear bolt has absorbed an amount of

force that exceeds its design, it will break off
thus the term “Shear”. The purpose of the
shear bolt is to practically break off in the
event of excessive stress, it informs the
operator on the presence of excessive stress
loads and allows enough time to properly
disconnect from the aircraft and use a
serviceable towbar instead, a more ideal
scenario compared to towbar disconnection.

Book 1 / Aircraft Ground Handling and Marshalling 10-2

 Loss of Communication - In reality, the
sequence of events during the dispatch of the
aircraft calls for muscle-memory reaction and
constant communication. However, a
challenge that industry practitioners have
experienced is the sudden loss of
communication especially during the peak of
operations.
The loss of communications is often attributed
to weather, failure of components, signal
reception, and many more. This is the reason
why we have discussed in this book the
importance of being knowledgeable in
performing marshaling signals as the ground
personnel is required to revert to non-verbal
communication through marshaling signals in
the event of headset communication failure.

Engine Fire - Any type of fire within the airport

is a cause for immediate concern however
there is more emphasis on the occurrence of
fire in the aircraft. Engine fires are extremely
rare occurrences simply because of the
procedures set in place to prevent such
events. However, the ground servicing
personnel must be prepared to respond in the
event of an engine fire as it may be the
deciding factor between the demise or the
survival of the passengers and crew on-board
the aircraft.
In case a fire breaks out in the engine, the
flight crew is mandatory to be informed of the
situation, since most passenger aircraft are
installed with fire suppression and detection.
The flight crew can stop an engine fire through
the cockpit. Simultaneously, the ground crew
must report with the airport fire department
to respond to the area immediately in case the
fire gets out of hand.

Only after informing the flight crew and the

airport fire department, the ground crew can
proceed to suppress the fire using the ground
fire extinguisher allotted on each aircraft
whenever it is parked on the tarmac. In a real
event, the procedures stated above can be
taken up by multiple people to shorten the
response time of everyone that is concerned
with the situation.

10-3 Aircraft Ground Handling and Marshalling / Book 1

Brake Fire - Brake fires are commonly caused
by the introduction of flammable material,
normally hydraulic fluid to an excessively high-
temperature brake. When left uncontrolled, a
brake fire can immediately spread to the belly
of the aircraft where the hydraulic reservoir is
located, increasing the possibility of a bigger
fire.

Ground personnel are specially trained in the

use of the ground fire extinguisher located at
each parking space on the ramp. The use of
water for extinguishing is prohibited, as this
would only lead to a faster spread of the fire.

Bogged Down Aircraft - On smaller and

poorly maintainer airports, the possibility of the
wheels getting bogged down on potholes is a
constant threat. Not only that it prevents the
movement of the aircraft but it creates traffic
along the runway and/or taxiways.

Sadly, whenever the aircraft is bogged down

and the application of engine thrust is not
enough to recover the aircraft out of the
pothole, the expertise of a salvage team must
be called to recover the aircraft from being
stucked.

Lightning Alerts and other Environmental

Scenario - Working at the ramp exposes the
personnel to the harsh effects of the
environment. Depending on the climate and
weather, ground servicing personnel are
advised to adhere to the minimum PPE
requirement and work in pairs to have
someone cover each other’s back in the case of
an accident.

Most importantly, the shift leader must be

aware of the location and tasks of his
subordinates to properly account for all the
personnel working in the ramp.

Book 1 / Aircraft Ground Handling and Marshalling 10-4

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10-5 Aircraft Ground Handling and Marshalling / Book 1