What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Fuel truck number 7 was assigned to fuel an aircraft. The aircraft had both pilots, cabin crew and all scheduled passengers on board preparing for departure.
The fuel truck was marshalled into position by ground personnel. This fueling was also a training event for the driver. A trainer, who has met the training requirements was training the driver who also met the training requirements but was not current on truck number 7.
As the driver was preparing the truck to fuel the aircraft, the trainer walked to the next gate, removing himself from direct observation of the trainee. When the driver/trainee applied the “deadman” device to begin fueling, the truck drove over the wheel chocks and drove into the tail cone of the number two engine causing damage to both the fuel truck and the aircraft. There was no resulting fuel leak from the truck or aircraft. ARFF was notified and did respond.
The general manager was interviewed along with the director of airline services (fuel vendor). The air carrier and the fuel vendor had already gathered the driver’s statement, drivers drug screening, drivers training records, trainers’ statement and trainers training records, witness statements, photos of the event, and fuel truck daily logs and maintenance records. All documents were voluntarily provided to the FAA.
The fuel truck was quarantined, and a third-party investigation revealed that there was "nothing to report regarding the operation of the truck".
The root cause was found to be lack of immediate supervision of a driver in training.
As the FAA filed it
FUEL TRUCK NUMBER 7 WAS ASSIGNED TO FUEL AN AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BOTH PILOTS, CABIN CREW AND ALL SCHEDULED PASSENGERS ON BOARD PREPARING FOR DEPARTURE.
THE FUEL TRUCK WAS MARSHALLED INTO POSITION BY GROUND PERSONNEL. THIS FUELING WAS ALSO A TRAINING EVENT FOR THE DRIVER. A TRAINER, WHO HAS MET THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS WAS TRAINING THE DRIVER WHO ALSO MET THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS BUT WAS NOT CURRENT ON TRUCK NUMBER 7.
AS THE DRIVER WAS PREPARING THE TRUCK TO FUEL THE AIRCRAFT, THE TRAINER WALKED TO THE NEXT GATE, REMOVING HIMSELF FROM DIRECT OBSERVATION OF THE TRAINEE. WHEN THE DRIVER/TRAINEE APPLIED THE “DEADMAN” DEVICE TO BEGIN FUELING, THE TRUCK DROVE OVER THE WHEEL CHOCKS AND DROVE INTO THE TAIL CONE OF THE NUMBER TWO ENGINE CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH THE FUEL TRUCK AND THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO RESULTING FUEL LEAK FROM THE TRUCK OR AIRCRAFT. ARFF WAS NOTIFIED AND DID RESPOND.
THE GENERAL MANAGER WAS INTERVIEWED ALONG WITH THE DIRECTOR OF AIRLINE SERVICES (FUEL VENDOR). THE AIR CARRIER AND THE FUEL VENDOR HAD ALREADY GATHERED THE DRIVER’S STATEMENT, DRIVERS DRUG SCREENING, DRIVERS TRAINING RECORDS, TRAINERS’ STATEMENT AND TRAINERS TRAINING RECORDS, WITNESS STATEMENTS, PHOTOS OF THE EVENT, AND FUEL TRUCK DAILY LOGS AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS. ALL DOCUMENTS WERE VOLUNTARILY PROVIDED TO THE FAA.
THE FUEL TRUCK WAS QUARANTINED, AND A THIRD-PARTY INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS "NOTHING TO REPORT REGARDING THE OPERATION OF THE TRUCK".
THE ROOT CAUSE WAS FOUND TO BE LACK OF IMMEDIATE SUPERVISION OF A DRIVER IN TRAINING.