Washington – The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday was investigating a collision between a Southwest Airlines Co aircraft and a truck at Baltimore-Washington International Airport as the airline faced scrutiny over a midair engine explosion last month that killed a passenger.
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The FAA said it is investigating after Southwest Airlines jet and a truck collided as the Boeing 737 pulled into a gate at about midnight. Passengers got off the plane using air stairs that are pulled to the aircraft, the aviation safety agency said.
Southwest Flight 6263 was pulling into the gate at BWI Sunday evening after flying from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, “when a ground vehicle came into contact with the aircraft,” the airline said.
There were no injuries reported to the 172 passengers aboard, the FAA said.
“As with any event, we will conduct an internal investigation to learn what happened in the interest of safety. It would be irresponsible to provide details until we’ve had time to thoroughly review the facts,” Southwest spokeswoman Michelle Agnew said.
An engine exploded during a Southwest flight last month that killed a passenger, the first on a U.S. carrier since 2009.
Southwest shares were down 1.2 percent at $52.19, extending a 20.1 percent year-to-date decline.
Many of these ground collisions between aircraft and motor vehicles, are the fault of the motor vehicles on the ground. One time, when I was taking flying lessons at John Glenn International Airport, I was pulling the Cessna 152 away from its parked area, and turning it around; out of the corner of my left eye, I saw some lunatic in a small truck racing in our direction. I immediately applied the brakes on the plane, and came to a stop, avoiding a collision. The reckless driver of the truck and his passenger gave myself and the flight instructor dirty looks, as if they had the right of way, and as if they were in the right. In fact, they were reckless, and showed an utter disregard for ground safety. If there had been an impact, they would have struck the fuel lines on the left wing, possibly causing a fire. I should have benched Hagomel afterwards. It is bad enough that pilots have to contend with other aircraft and wild birds. However, it is inexcusable for motor vehicles to race around taxiways near planes, as if they are setting a speed record on the ground.