Airliners Collide On Runway At Newark

The FAA is looking into what caused two Continental jets to collide as they prepared for takeoff from Newark Monday.

The left wing of a 737 bound for Miami clipped the tail section of a second 737 as the Florida-bound aircraft was taxiing on an intersecting runway. The second aircraft, bound for Los Angeles, was holding on the taxiway awaiting takeoff instructions.

The incident caused long delays, but no injuries. Both jets taxied uneventfully back to the terminal, where passengers were forced to wait for other aircraft to get them where they were going. Miami-bound passengers were transferred to a jet that left Newark at 10 am, while the California passengers finally left Newark at noon.

The damage to the Miami-bound jet, at least, didn't appear that bad; it was back in service the next day, FAA spokeswoman Arlene Murray told the local media.

The FAA is expected to release its preliminary report on the incident by week's end. Continental is also looking into the accident, although there isn't much information out there.

"Our maintenance is still assessing what happened," Continental spokeswoman Julie King said.

The incident did not appear to cause any other problems at Newark Liberty, which is the second-busiest airport in the region.

Since 2000, at least seven incidents in which planes either clipped or collided with other planes or objects have occurred on the ground at Newark.

FMI: www.continental.com