Six Planes Suffer Various Ground Collisions

It's common knowledge among pilots and airport personnel alike that the busier the ramp area is, the greater the chances of an airplane suffering a ground collision with a support vehicle, another airplane... or even with the terminal.

Well, one of the busiest travel periods of the year just wrapped up -- and according to the FAA, six airliners, one fuel truck, one luggage cart, a van, and an LAX jetway have the scars to prove it.

Southwest Airlines had two of its aircraft cross lifting surfaces in Buffalo on Saturday, as a taxiing plane struck the horizontal stab of a parked 737 with its wingtip. Minor damage was reported, and the flight to Chicago was delayed briefly.

Alaska Airlines also had two of its planes involved in minor "fender" benders, at different airports. In Seattle Friday, a McDonnell-Douglas Super 80 (file photo of type, below) had  its wing dented ever-so-slightly when it clipped a fuel truck as the plane was maneuvering to park.

While the pilots involved in that incident have no doubt heard about the incident from Alaska's management, they will likely be second into the principal's office behind the crew who, when taxiing into the gate after arriving at LAX on Sunday, hit the jetway with the number one engine nacelle on their 737. No injuries were reported, and the full extent of the damage to the airliner and the jetway weren't known.

According to the FAA Prelim, a Continental 737 suffered 'substantial' damage when it was struck at the gate by a contractor's van in Houston on Friday. No one was aboard the parked airliner at the time of the collision, and the van driver suffered unknown injuries.

Lastly, a Chautauqua Airlines Embraer 145 regional jet was struck by a luggage loader Friday while the 50-seat airliner was parked at the gate at LaGuardia in New York. No injuries were reported, and damage to the RJ was unknown.

While air traffic has since slowed a bit, air traffic will continue to be busier than normal throughout the holiday season, and on into 2006. So, in closing... let's all be careful out there.

FMI: FAA Preliminary Accident/Incident Report For 11.28.05