RCAF Polaris rolls into AAE A400
On 21 July 2023, to repatriate the remainder of the equipment and personnel following the Canadian participation in Exercise Mobility Guardian (organised by the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), which was held 5-21 July), the crew of Royal Canadian Armed Forces (RCAF) CC-150 Polaris 15003 (425) of 437 Transport Squadron Husky had flown as passengers from 8 Wing Trenton (ON) to Hickam AFB (HI).
Following crew rest in Hawaii the crew departed for Andersen AFB in Guam. The aircraft landed in Guam, taxied to position behind a Follow Me-truck and was marshalled into parking spot N24 by exercise participant ground crew, stopping at approximately 21:45 hours local time.
The aircraft was loaded with equipment and baggage in preparation for departure the following day, 22 July. The aircraft was partially secured (without chocks!), and the crew departed the airfield for rest. At approximately 10:30 hours the following morning the aircraft began to roll backwards, nose veering to the left, and continued to roll until the right horizontal and vertical stabilizer contacted the empennage of a l'Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE, French Air and Space Force) A400M, parked on spot N22. Following contact the CC-150 rebounded forward coming to rest approximately eight metres from the point of impact. Both aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The air force said the initial review did not reveal any evidence of technical issues with the aircraft and an investigation will now focus "on procedures, communications and human factors."
While the serial of the A400M is not officially known yet, based on the A400s present at Guam and the ones that have left according to online tracking sites, it seems likely that 0031/RBAH was the unlucky one. 0073/RBAN was also present for the exercise but already returned to France on 3 August, and 0110/RBAR (which has special markings, and was therefore already ruled out) returned on 2 August. RBAH was last seen at Guam on 19 July and has not been flying since.
Picture: RCAF