2 JetBlue planes bump into one another on runway at JFK Airport
NEW YORK -- Two JetBlue planes bumped into one another Wednesday on the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The FAA said around 7 a.m., a plane bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico, struck the tail of another parked plane as it was pushing back from the gate.
No injuries were reported, and authorities say no one was on the parked plane.
JetBlue released the following statement:
On Wednesday morning, JetBlue flight 1603 with scheduled service from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU), came into light contact with a parked unoccupied aircraft during pushback. Flight 1603 returned to the gate, no injuries were reported, and the flight has been assigned to another aircraft. Safety is JetBlue's first priority, and both aircraft involved will be taken out of service for inspection and the incident will be investigated.
Dr. Michael Canders, the aviation center director at Farmingdale State College, says investigators will look at whether the plane was parked properly.
"So we need to learn the lessons. Maybe there's a failure to communicate here," he said.
This comes just days after two other planes almost collided on the runway at JFK. A Delta plane managed to stop about 1,000 feet before hitting an American Airlines flight that crossed into its path.
Each plane in that incident had more than 100 people on board, including Brian Healy and his husband, who were on the Delta plane headed for the Caribbean.
"There was audible reactions from passengers in the cabin, some gasps," Healy said.
As for Wednesday's incident, investigators will be looking into whether this was a case of operator error.
"They'll ask questions about, was the crew trained? Was the crew rested to make sure that everybody is able to do the job? So fatigue is an issue in aviation, particularly for pilots and crew, but it's also for ground crew," Canders said.
Canders adds that in addition to the possibility of human error, investigators will look at potential equipment failure in both incidents.