Prevent Hangar Rash

Ground-handling accidents usually result from inattentiveness and human factor issues. They can be costly but are easy to prevent. Heres how.

Editorial Staff

Monday, May 16, 2005 at 12:00 AM ET

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Pilots can now view the IFD900 in split-screen mode with ForeFlight and other apps. Avidyne

Key Takeaways:

Ground operations—including towing, ramp movements, service vehicles, and hangaring—are a significant and often costly source of aircraft damage, sometimes leading to the aircraft being totaled.
Preventing "hangar rash" requires meticulous attention to detail, thorough pre-inspections, proper use of equipment, and adequate personnel like wing walkers and ground marshallers, especially in confined or busy areas.
Human factors such as rushing, time pressure, and insufficient visual awareness are leading causes of ground incidents, emphasizing the critical need for constant vigilance and adherence to safety protocols to avoid accidents.

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I recently listened to an aviation insurance official cite a collection of claims for aircraft damaged during ground operations and dropped my jaw. The cost of even the smallest hangar rash can be quite expensive to your-or your insurance companys-checkbook.

Light materials like sheet and stamped aluminum or composites can carry amazing structural loads as long as the integrity of their shape is maintained. But, a small dent can seriously compromise the load-carrying capability of the structure. Repairs of more substantial damage-to a nosegear, a wingtip or a tail surface-can easily exceed the value of an older pride-and-joy, forcing you or the insurance company to total it. And the repair cost alone does not consider the expense of downtime. In the case of aircraft, its much cheaper and a lot less painful to prevent hangar rash in the first place than to pay for the damage afterwards.