Commercial Fixed Wing
Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Company Policy; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
Myself and my partner were dispatched to tow Aircraft X from Gate X to the hangar. We followed SOP for removing Aircraft X off of the gate. As we entered Location Y at the hangar we had to go wide around another aircraft that was parked on spot X1 which due to the COVID pandemic is a made up spot sitting east of Taxiway X; we were to park our aircraft on [spot] X2. After passing that aircraft I positioned my supertug and the aircraft east of the taxi line. I was following a seam in the hangar concrete in an attempt to position my supertug to the right side of another aircraft that was parked on spot X1 in order to back my aircraft into the X2 spot; also not a normal parking spot. As I swung the aircraft to the east my partner asked if I was okay with where the mobile stairs were located and I confirmed that I was fine with their location. I was following my guide man's directions who was located to my left; as I approached the spot I looked away from the guide man to see where the front of my supertug was because I knew I was approaching the end of the concrete. When I looked back the guide man had given the stop sign and my partner was telling me to stop. My partner told me we had made contact with the mobile stairs; I placed the supertug in park and set the emergency brake. Upon inspection we confirmed that I had hit the mobile stairs with the wingtip which resulted in the edge being bent. SOP was followed removing the aircraft from the gate but there is no SOP parking the aircraft in made up spots due to the COVID pandemic.
We were involved in an incident which occurred at the ZZZ Company Hanger. With COVID-19 now affecting aircraft movements; we are moving aircraft in unsafe manners. With no safety advocate. We as a team are moving aircraft in manners that were not trained to do. In the area this aircraft; Aircraft X; was being parked; there are no guide marks; no lead in lines; and no stop markings. It has been set up as a 'point of reference.' This lead to Aircraft X to being damaged. The wing tip was slightly damaged. In the past 5 months since COVID-19 the ZZZ team has been moving aircraft with no clear guidelines; and no safety advocate to speak for us.
Ground crew reported a wing-tip collision occurred while they were towing an aircraft to a made-up parking spot that was created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crew stated there were no markings to guide the aircraft to the spot.