Aeroplane was badly damaged in crash near runway

A commercial aircraft suffered "significant damage" when it smashed into an airport fence with 181 passengers onboard, an investigation has revealed.

The Ryanair plane was being moved by a tug driving instructor who was advising a trainee at London Stansted Airport in Essex on 21 August 2024.

The Boeing 737 was being pulled to the airport's apron - where planes await runway departure slots - by the ground vehicle known as a tug.

Changes to ground markings had been made since the incident, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said in a report.

The tug was initially driven by a trainee, who handed control over to her instructor after a mistake.

The instructor "continued to reassure and advise the trainee" while performing a manoeuvre, "looking at her while doing so", the report added.

But the plane's nosewheel moved beyond the tug release point (TRP) ground markings - where it was meant to stop - resulting in the aircraft striking a blast barrier.

This damaged the rear of the plane, which also had six crew onboard and was bound for Venice in Italy, but caused no injuries.

Following the crash, the instructor successfully passed drug and alcohol tests.

The man explained he was "focusing on speaking to the trainee" when he drove past the TRP, the report said.

He added the markings were "not very prominent" and were "obscured" underneath the plane.

The trainee said she did not say anything when her instructor failed to stop as she was "assuming he must have known what he was doing", the report stated.

The manoeuvre was carried out by workers for Blue Handling, a ground handling team from facility management provider ABM that serves Ryanair at Stansted.

ABM was approached for a comment by PA Media.

Since the accident, the airport doubled the length of TRPs from 50cm (19.6ins) to 1m (3.2ft), and painted them on both sides of centre lines.

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